Ethel Noortoots and Katriin Tammoja, 2nd year textile students at the Estonian Academy of Arts in Tallinn, presented their outfits at the FashionTEX “Fashion Show 2026” at Led Unit Studios in Riga on 1st of October 20206. Their work explores different approaches to contemporary fashion, bringing together digital technologies, experimental materials and hands-on garment construction.
Katriin´s Outfit
During the FashionTEX Riga Makerspace, Katriin experimented with waxing fabric and using laser cutting to create patterns, discovering new ways to transform textiles. She also developed a digital version of her outfit in CLO3D, exploring how to create realistic textures and translate the qualities of physical materials into a digital environment.
As Katriin explains:
“I particularly enjoyed waxing the fabric and then using a laser to cut a pattern out of it. That was something completely new to me.”
This hands-on experimentation became an important part of her creative process, alongside exploring digital tools and developing a visual world around her design.
Ethel´s Outfit and Digital Presentation
Ethel experimented with AI-generated video and explored how different AI tools could work together. One of her most exciting discoveries was learning that one AI system could help develop prompts for another, which could then be used to generate videos. This opened up new ways of thinking about digital tools as part of the creative process.
Reflecting on her experience, Ethel shared:
“I’m now much more open to integrating Artificial Intelligence into my creative work.”
Through her hands-on process on constructing her knitted physical garment , she discovered that even simple pattern pieces can lead to unexpected shapes and interesting constructions. Her outfit reflects a willingness to experiment, explore unfamiliar techniques and find creative solutions beyond conventional approaches to fashion design.