Revitalizing traditional crafts through circular textile innovation.
Support the renovation of a historic and listed paper mill, spanning 750 m², as it transforms into a cultural center for research, development, and innovation. The space will be dedicated to exploring ways to transform textile waste through creative processes, reflecting Portuguese artistic and artisanal heritage.
Currently, the fashion and textile industry generates significant waste streams, while many artisanal traditions face the risk of decline. This project aims to provide a dual solution to these challenges, adding value to textile waste and preserving traditional crafts. The fundamental principles include experimentation, education, and the development of sustainable economic models for product ranges.
Fachada Norte
About the author
Donna Marie Bowman-Coe navigates between worlds — where tradition intersects with innovation and waste transforms into possibility. A textile engineer, designer, and creative strategist with over 25 years of international experience, her journey began in South Texas, shaped by movement, craftsmanship, and cultural exchange. From New York to Europe, Asia, and the Americas, she has worked in collaboration with factories, artisans, and manufacturers, translating a deep understanding of materials into meaningful and scalable solutions.
Her work is driven by a singular conviction: that textiles hold stories—of people, places, and times—and that preserving them is essential to shaping a more responsible future. Combining technical rigor with a creative vision, she transforms discarded materials into new value systems, integrating traditional craftsmanship into modern, circular design.
Currently based in Portugal, Donna builds at the intersection of sustainability, culture, and industry — creating pathways that honor tradition, empower communities, and redefine what the future of textiles can be.
Donna Marie Bowman-Coe
Join our Journey!
We are dedicated in building an R&D hub to explore the use of post consumer textile waste in the creative processes of global heritage arts& crafts. Won’t you join us in making a difference?
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