Tau Pibernat & Vera Castelijns

Urban Fibers

Textile worker

Colourful innovation for the textile industry

Vera and Tau are exploring innovative approaches in textile production
The products they make are from 100% recycled materials
They use traditional techniques like knitting, weaving and rope making

Tau Pibernat and Vera Castelijns are the two artisans behind Urban Fibers, a studio with a mission to transform the textile industry through craftsmanship and research. Their journey began at Kunsthochschule Weißensee, where they united over a shared vision to combat wasteful practices in the sector. Urban Fibers prioritises using locally sourced materials, particularly discarded clothing, to create resource-efficient yarns and textiles. Their work merges traditional techniques such as knitting, weaving, and rope-making with innovative methods to produce high-quality yarns. "Our aim is to develop finer materials that easily integrate into existing industry processes," explain the duo. Committed to aesthetic appeal, Tau and Vera produce pieces with vibrant colours, without the use of harmful bleaches or dyes, and foster meaningful collaborations with other like-minded designers.

Interview

How would you describe what you do?: We create textiles and yarns from local discarded materials through a range of handcrafted techniques. Our aim is to evolve these processes into methods that are increasingly compatible with industrial applications. It feels like we are gently exploring a new craft.
What inspires you?: There are an increasing number of projects in Berlin that treat used or overproduced textiles as valuable resources. Examples include Kunststoff, Textilhafen, Material Mafia, and many other informal groups and initiatives. This entire movement, along with the idea of making a real difference in the industry, is incredibly inspiring and motivating.
What have been the milestones along your journey?: To continuously enhance the quality of our products for the industry, it is essential that our yarn is both fine and resilient. We have now achieved the capability to produce yarn that is 3mm thick, which can already be utilised on digital Jacquard looms.
What do most people not know about your work?: Many people may be surprised by the sheer volume of nearly new textiles that are getting discarded everyday. For instance, some textiles are created specifically for certain events, and when those events conclude, it is quite common for everything to be tossed aside.

Tau Pibernat & Vera Castelijns are rising stars: they began their career in 2019