XXV National Textile Conference “Traditions and Innovations in Textiles and Clothing”

In the period October 26-28, 2023, the XXV National Textile Conference with international participation “Traditions and Innovations in Textiles and Garment” was held at the “Bachinovo” University Center of the Neofit Rilski Southwestern University of Blagoevgrad (SWU). The forum is organized annually by the Scientific Engineering Union of Textiles, Garment and Leathers (SEUTGL) with the cooperation of the Universities Departments of Textiles and Design in Bulgaria.
The host of the event this year was the Department of Mechanical Engineering, leading training in the specialty “Design and Technologies for Clothing and Textiles” at the Technical Faculty of SWU.
More than 100 students, doctoral students, specialists, lecturers and scientists from higher schools at home and abroad, from vocational high schools of design, textiles and clothing, from the Institute of Polymers of the BAS, the Institute of defense “Prof. Tsvetan Lazarov”, from universities of LPMT-Mulhouse in France, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, TU-Istanbul in Turkey, ENIM of Monastir in Tunisia and Picanol n.v., of Ypres in Belgium. Students, PhD students and scientists from University of St. St. Cyril and Methodius” in Skopje, the Technical University of Dresden, the School of Artistic Weaving in the city of Penne d’Agenais, France and others.
The conference was opened by the Dean of the Technical Faculty Prof. Dr. Eng. Snezhina Andonova. In her welcoming speech, she emphasized that it is an honour and a pleasure for the entire teaching collegium of the faculty to work in a team with the SEUTGL for another year.
The scientific event is also held with the support of the National “Scientific Research” Fund as a result of a winning project under the leadership of the chairman of the SUTGL Assoc. Prof. Ivelin Rahnev, PhD. He emphasized the importance of this traditional scientific forum for all specialists in the field of design, textiles and garment in our country and thanked the sponsors of the conference “E. Miroglio EAD – Sliven, Pirintex EOOD – Gotse Delchev, Lemprier Wool EOOD – Sliven, Picanol n.v. – Belgium, as well as the hosts of the event.
The work of the conference began with a round table on the topic “Human resources of the textile profession”. The main thematic speeches were made by Eng. Fani Todorova – chief expert in the “Professional Education and Training” Directorate at the Ministry of Education and Science and Krasimir Valchev – deputy chairman of the Federation of Independent Trade Union Organizations of Light Industry.
In the scientific sessions, papers related to new fibrous raw materials (nanotechnologies in textiles) were presented; antimicrobial textiles and other innovative technologies in textile and sewing production; contemporary textile art, fashion, composition; management, marketing and sustainable development in modern sewing and textile production, as well as current methods and forms of training in the field of textiles and clothing.
Smooth transition between human ressources problems and scientific sessions of the conference was the fashion show, organized by the specialty “Fashion” and leaded by Prof. Dr. Emil Kukov – head of the Department of Fine Art at the Neofit Rilski Southwestern University. The student collections “Eco” and “Tsunami” were realized by the support of the Fine Art department lecturers Dr. Tatiana Hristova, Dr. Milka Alexandrova, Dr. Rositsa Rangelova, and senior lecturer Maria Onteva.
Diversified collection of the students from “Fashion Design” Department at the National Academy of Arts – Sofia, leaded by Prof. Maya Bogdanova, PhD, rised fashion show academic level.
The review also featured the collections “Little Black Dress” and “Elegance in Everyday Life” of students from the specialty “Design and Technologies for Clothing and Textiles” at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of SWU, realized under the guidance of Assistant Professor Umme Kapanak.
Vocational High School of Clothing “Princess Maria Louisa” – Sofia under the guidance of eng. Maria R. Koleva, and Innovative Secondary School “Metodi Draginov” – Draginovo, Velingrad under the supervision of eng. Elka Djurakova ” show various collections the modern life or folk traditions based over skills and knowledge of the students.
Among the guests at the opening ceremony of the conference were Maria Dimova – regional governor of the district with administrative center Blagoevgrad, Maria Petrova – deputy mayor of the municipality of Blagoevgrad, teachers, specialists, scientists, students and doctoral students from academic institutions and vocational high schools, where training in textiles, apparel and design is conducted.
Acknowledgments: Financial support from the Bulgarian National Science Fund (Grant KP-06-MNF/35-2023) is kindly acknowledged.