Berlin Collection

The Queer Needlework Circle now hosts a weekly crafting circle at Village.Berlin! In these gatherings, we will learn how to develop our own costume. Under the guidance of Theodorus Johannes, we are going to make a fashion collection that represents Queer folks of the 21st century. Together we will look for techniques, shapes, motifs and colors that give your clothes a symbolic value.

a Weekly Circle

What is necessary for culture or symbolism to arise within a piece of clothing? How can you make clothes that reveal where you come from, in which environment you live or show to which group you belong? After years of research into Dutch regional costumes, Theodorus Johannes has developed a design method that allows you to create your own traditional costume with the clothes you own and the clothes you make.


In these weekly circles, we start off by taking a closer look at our ways of dressing to discover what our method of self-expression is. Do folks in queer realms have a specific way of expressing who we are? We will also investigate how our ancestors dressed and how we can convert this into (clothing) designs that you can apply in your own wardrobe. Knitting, crochet, embroidery and sewing are some of the techniques we will be exchanging in the process. We will gradually move towards developing our own clothes that will form into a fashion collection. You get to keep the clothes you made in the process. 

Bio Theodoor 

Theodorus Johannes (they / them) is a designer, researcher and storyteller. Since 2017, they have been making the online documentary series “Community Dressing”, in which the differences and similarities between Dutch regional costumes and today's fashion are investigated. Theodoor examines fashion as a complex but powerful form of communication, in which they often highlight themes such as identity and authenticity. Communities, folklore and textile crafts are central to their design practice.

Next event:

Wednesday May 24th, 19.30 – 22.00h
Theme Fashion collection Show & Tell
Location Village.Berlin, Kurfustenstraße 31

The weekly wednesday-evening workshops are drop-in based, but please let us know whether you'd like to join via Telegram messenger!