Saskia Thoelen (Tokyo, Japan)

Saskia Thoelen (Researcher/Curator/Reporter) has a PhD in Clothing and Living Environment Studies at Bunka Gakuen University where she is currently Assistant Professor. She is also a Kimono Designer and works as a reporter for NHK World. Her main research topic is the creation and promotion of kimono during the early twentieth century and today.

Colette Huchard (Brussels, Belgium)

French Costume Designer, living in Brussels, Colette Huchard created costumes for dance, theater, opera and cinema in Europe. She taught History of Costumes and she led workshops in many acting schools, and costume designer schools. During her many stays in Japan, she gave lectures in universities, sharing her profound knowledge of the art of clothing in every aspect. Her specialty is the research between art and fashion, and influences between West and East, in the economic and social context linked to climate change and international relations.

David Crisci (Brussels, Belgium)

David Crisci is a multifaceted creative working in the contemporary art world. Founder of Never Sceno (a scenography collective) and jeweler apprentice.

Ana Maria Gomez (Bogota, Colombia & Brussels, Belgium)

Ana María Gómez is the designer behind the textile studio AMGS. Her work explores textiles as a medium for expression, communication, and cultural exchange, pushing their role beyond traditional uses. At the heart of AMGS is an experimental approach to the visual, tactile, and spatial qualities of textiles—particularly how color and material influence environments. Ana María is especially interested in the relationship between textiles, the body, and space, a focus that connects closely with her passion for theatre and performance.

Yaniv Schwartz (Nijmegen, The Netherlands)

Yaniv Schwartz is a multidisciplinary designer whose work seamlessly blends architecture and fine woodworking». He is the cofounder of The Moraine- A non profit organization.

Anneleen Bertels (President & creative director)

Anneleen is a Belgian textile designer and researcher based in Brussels. She gained diverse experiences as a fashion designer and product developer for several major fashion houses. In 2022 she decided to dedicate herself to her passion for the craftsmanship of textiles and founded Studio Anneleen Bertels. In her studio, she conducts research on how new sustainable materials and innovative technologies interact with traditional crafts. 

Waldo De Keersmaecker (Vice president & creative director)

Waldo is a Belgian architect based in Brussels. Through his research into traditional architecture, he draws inspiration from ancestral construction and design methods to offer sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges by building architecture that is human-centered and rooted in nature.

Annechien Van de Wall - Strategy & planning

Ravel Meeth - Treasurer

Knotto is an International Non-Profit Organization promoting partnerships between Europe & other countries in the fields of craftsmanship, design and art.
Our goal is to bridge the gaps between tradition and modernity, ancestral knowledge and contemporary design, craftsmanship and technology.

Our initiatives include open-calls, international exchanges, conferences, seminars, exhibitions, and publications, as well as the curation of spaces for creation and transmission.

By combining the traditional craftsmanship with a strong conceptual and contemporary design approach, we aim to bring a new vision, rooted in ancestral knowledge and local context, and provide sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges.