Threads of the past – research into textile constructions in historical clothing

How did humans come to wear trousers? The oldest known trousers are a woven, made-to-measure garment that was worn in Inner Asia around 3,000 years ago. What can this carefully constructed garment tell us about movement, material knowledge, and textile technologies of the past?

In this lecture, textile designer and researcher Moa Hallgren-Brekenkamp provides insights into the international research project Silk Road Fashion, which traces the origins of pants and examines the principles of their construction. At the intersection of practice and science, she presents her interdisciplinary approach, which also includes the reconstruction of archaeological garments on the loom.

Moa Hallgren-Brekenkamp conducts research at the German Archaeological Institute and heads the weaving department at the Faculty of Design at Berlin University of the Arts.