17 / Oct / 2025
Photo by Josefina Eikenaar
Another product has been added to the TextielMuseum’s own collection. ‘Re_Work’ is a tablecloth that demonstrates just how sustainable design can be in 2025. It was created by the design collective Envisions, who attached a striking red label to it — not a small flap with washing instructions, but a complete product passport.
The commission for the new by TextielMuseum product went to Envisions, who previously designed four Makers’ Secrets exhibitions for the museum. This time, however, there was a specific request: the focus had to be on making the production process more sustainable. “The designers at Envisions take a very investigative approach — they are excellent at deconstructing and rebuilding,” says Lise Brunt, material adviser at the TextielLab.
The tablecloth that emerged from this sustainable ‘reset’ fittingly carries the name Re_Work. It was launched in Eindhoven during Dutch Design Week and is now available in the museum shop in Tilburg. The piece can also be seen throughout the year in the exhibition ‘Tafelgoed, tafelbeter’ (Tableware, Table Better) in the Damask Weaving Room behind the shop.
Re_Work
Re_Work showcases in multiple ways how sustainability can be achieved in 2025. The project began with a joint brainstorming session on what sustainability actually means within a textile context and which conditions are most important. The origin and reuse of materials were given top priority.
The tablecloth is made from discarded workwear and PET bottles, recycled and processed relatively close to the TextielLab. A recycling company in Germany converted old uniforms and plastic bottles into fibres, and Spinning Jenny in Nijverdal spun these into high-quality yarns. The yarns travelled just 150 kilometres to the TextielLab, where they were woven onto a warp of GOTS-certified organic cotton — a new, unbleached base that has a warm, off-white hue. From now on, the TextielLab intends to use this same warp for all label products. Finally, the tablecloths were finished and sold on-site.
Sustainable damask
The design of the tablecloth is based on historic diaper cloth (pellendamast) from the TextielMuseum’s collection — a simple form of damask in which twill weaves create decorative motifs. This traditionally checked household textile was more affordable than damask but equally durable, often lasting for many years.
Envisions enlarged the twill structures and used them as the foundation for the pattern. In this contemporary reinterpretation of traditional table linen, sustainability is considered from multiple angles. The designers opted for undyed recycled yarns from a Dutch micro-spinner and also paid close attention to the fabric’s use and lifespan.
“We didn’t design this as a tablecloth that only comes out on special occasions,” says Sanne Schuurman of Envisions. “It’s meant for everyday use.” Building on the tradition of old damask cloths that were later reused as cleaning rags, the designers added special cut lines to the fabric. These lines allow the tablecloth to enjoy an appealing ‘afterlife’: once it has served its time on the table, it can be cut — without fraying — into a stack of napkins or cleaning cloths.
Bold label
To make these sustainable features visible to the consumer, a brand-new label was developed and attached to the cloth. Not a small white tag to snip off, but a striking red label the size of a passport, featuring an engaging graphic design. “We deliberately wanted it to stand out,” says Brunt. “This label is in your face, ensuring that the important information is instantly visible.”
With this project, the TextielLab is preparing for the upcoming EU Digital Product Passport (DPP), which will become mandatory from 2027. This legislation requires each product to have a unique identification code providing online transparency about its production chain. The beauty of the Envisions passport label is that it already conveys a wealth of information — even without needing to scan it at the table. The finely woven infographics show which materials were used and where they came from. At a glance, you can see that the cloth has travelled only a short distance before reaching the shop. The label also includes a short text explaining the design concept, and of course, a QR code linking to more details in the TextielMuseum webshop.
Photo by Josefina Eikenaar
Recycled and recyclable
This first product passport — in the form of a woven label — serves as a test case for all future by TextielMuseum products created in the lab. With the introduction of the label, the TextielMuseum and TextielLab aim to provide transparency about the ecological impact of their products and to show what steps are being taken to reduce it. “We want to be open about where things are made, who is involved, and how materials can be reused,” says Brunt. “This also anticipates the upcoming EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) guidelines for textiles. These European regulations will require producers to take greater responsibility for what they make — including the percentage of recycled content and the recyclability of their products.”
What does sustainability feel like?
Working with recycled yarns sounds easier than it is — these yarns differ in colour and texture and are often slightly coarser. During the initial testing phase, yarns from several small Dutch spinners were compared. “We were determined to work with a locally recycled yarn that met our label’s quality standards and didn’t need to be re-dyed,” says Brunt. That search led to Spinning Jenny, which proved the best fit for this production.
Sanne Schuurman explains that the team had to make several adjustments during the design process: “Truly sustainable production brings certain constraints. At first, we planned for much more colour, and the texture feels a little different from what you might expect in a tablecloth.”
You can experience how sustainability feels yourself this week at the Klokgebouw at Strijp-S during Dutch Design Week, or later in the TextielMuseum shop. Perhaps it’s something for your own home — the most sustainable piece of Dutch Design table linen currently available.
Text by Willemijn de Jonge
Visit the exhibition Tafelgoed, tafelbeter
In the past, designers rarely considered sustainability when creating fabrics, yet historic textiles can still offer valuable lessons for today’s sustainable ambitions. For the development of new sustainable table linen for the by TextielMuseum label, the designers from Envisions drew inspiration from historic diaper cloth (pellendamast) in the museum’s collection.
The exhibition shows the table linen of the past that inspires contemporary designers, how sustainable design comes about, and the decisions involved in that process. Central to it is the question: What can we learn from historic textiles, and how can our table linen become even better?
On view until 10 January 2027 at the TextielMuseum.