Maarit Salolainen

Maarit Salolainen is an Adjunct Professor in Textile Design at Aalto University and Head of the MA Major in Fashion, Clothing and Textile Design. She is an experienced international textile design professional passionate about bringing textile knowledge to multidisciplinary platforms. Salolainen has developed higher education studies in textile design, focusing on renewing textile studio pedagogy and linking textile studies to fashion education. Furthermore, she has initiated experimental pedagogy in multidisciplinary pedagogical platforms, exposing students from non-design backgrounds to creative artistic processes.

In addition to her academic work, Salolainen works internationally as a creative director consulting textile manufacturers and interior textile editors. Currently, she is a creative director at the Turkish textile mill Vanelli Textile, leading a team of 25 designers to research and develop new concepts, products and collections for international interior textile editors and brands.

In 2014, Salolainen was awarded the Designer of the Year award by the Finnish Designers Association. Her book, Interwoven – Exploring Materials and Structures (AaltoARTS Books 2022), a textbook and guide to mastering textile design, won the International Creative Media Awards gold medal in the category of Educational textbooks.