Tucked back in the Upper Ninth Ward of New Orleans is a new experimental textile and fashion school launched by Turner Prize-winning architecture collective Assemble and Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art, which had already opened a music studio in the city.
Drawing on the city’s costume and streetwear cultures, the Material Institute offers students free access to materials and teaching by craftspeople and designers from around the world – including Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief Demond Melancon and fashion designers Faustine Steinmetz and Kenneth Ize – with the aim of fostering nascent talent and launching careers.
