exploring the world of colour
The Studio
Laura Luchtman
Kukka is the Rotterdam-based design studio of Laura Luchtman. Laura is a multi-faceted textile and surface designer, balancing at the intersection of art and design. Through a deep-rooted longing for a sense of purpose, she explores the world through colour. Creating designs that evoke emotion, tell stories, and yet leave room for interpretation.
“I am driven by the desire to create harmony between visual calm and stimulation. By crafting colour narratives through graphic simplicity and abstraction that spark conversations and inspire change.”
Laura is particularly captivated by the combination of industrial techniques and handcrafted details. She has always been drawn to the perfection of digital work, but is determined to find a balance between the world of machines and the unpredictable, emotive outcomes of artisanal methods. Leaving things to chance creates room to breathe.
To Laura, the coincidences created by her design principles are just as important as the perfect moments they create.
Starting her own studio was an organic process. With two Bachelor’s degrees in Communication and Fashion Styling, Laura delved into a variety of endeavors including fashion writing and fashion design before starting her freelance design practice in 2010 next to her in-house design job.
She discovered her passion for prints, patterns and intricate detailing as an in-house intimate apparel designer at the start of her career. Gradually, she specialised in surface pattern design. Her sense of fashion is still experienced in her designs today.
Laura’s years of experience in the fast-paced fashion industry led her to explore biodesign. Feeling the need to show more of herself and looking for more meaningful avenues for her practice, she found her niche in colour.
Since 2015, Kukka is driven by Laura’s self-initiated projects and resulting commissions for international clients – from small labels to multinational brands. She uses art and biodesign as a way to push the boundaries for herself and her clients. Through pioneering approaches to colour and textiles, she aspires to create opportunities for a more conscious industry.
A bit of background
the studio’s backstory
Clients and Collaborators
past and current selection
Exhibitions
design on display
2023
02.2023 · OBJECT · curated design show · HAKA Building · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
01.2023 · A Queen Within: Adorned Archetypes · group exhibition · Fresno Art Museum · Fresno · USA
2022
10.2022 · Dutch Design Week · group exhibition · Fashion Tech Farm · Eindhoven · The Netherlands
07.2022 – 01.2023 · A Queen Within: Adorned Archetypes · group exhibition · Fresno Art Museum · Fresno · USA
07.2022 · Chromarama Vol. 2 · solo exhibition · De Wasserij · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
07.2022 · North Sea Jazz Festival · with Priveekollektie Contemporary Art | Design · Ahoy · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
06.2022 · Techtextil · tradefair · Messe Frankfurt · Frankfurt · Germany
06.2022 · Isola Design Gallery · group exhibition · Milan Design Week · Milan · Italy
04.2022 · Isola Design District x Catawiki · contemporary design auction · Catawiki · Milan · Italy
04.2022 – 10.2022 · To Dye For · group exhibition · TextielMuseum · Tilburg · The Netherlands
04.2022 · MaterialDistrict · tradefair · Werkspoorkathedraal · Utrecht · The Netherlands
04.2022 · Artbooster Noord · group exhibition and art auction · Neck of the Woods III · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
03.2022 · International Creatives for Ukraine · charity design auction · Marcin Rusak · Warsaw · Poland
2021
10.2021 · Dutch Design Week: Embassy of Inclusive Society · group exhibition · Ketelhuisplein · Eindhoven · The Netherlands
10.2021 · Dutch Design Week: It’s In Our Nature · group exhibition · Klokgebouw · Eindhoven · The Netherlands
10.2021 · Dutch Design Week: The Exploded View · group exhibition · The New Block · Eindhoven · The Netherlands
09.2021 – 10.2021 · European Heritage Days, Female Artists Exhibition · group exhibition · Priveekollektie Contemporary Art | Design · Heusden · The Netherlands
09.2021 · Fabrique Mozaique: The Circular City · group exhibition · Huidenclub · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
07.2021 – 10.2021 · Design by Nature · group exhibition · Museum de Fundatie · Zwolle · The Netherlands
07.2021 · OBJECT · curated design show · HAKA building · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
06.2021 · Fashion and Design Festival Arnhem · online group exhibition · Arnhem · The Netherlands
06.2021 · 22Rooms&Artists · group exhibition · The Student Hotel x Pottage Foundation · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
05.2021 · Analog Eco Festival · group exhibition · De Grafische Werkplaats · The Hague · The Netherlands
04.2021 – 09.2021 · Showroom Limburg · group exhibition · Discovery Museum · Kerkrade · The Netherlands
02.2021 · Chromarama · solo exhibition · De Wasserij · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
2020
10.2020 · Design and Utopia: from manifesto to action · Abierto Mexicano de Diseño · Franz Mayer Museum · Mexico City · Mexico
17.10.2020 – 25.10.2020 · Dutch Design Week · virtual exhibition · Eindhoven · The Netherlands
06.2020 · Design to Fade (PUMA biodesign exhibition) · Milan Design Week & Fuorisalone (online due to Covid-19) · Milan · Italy
04.2020 – 07.2020 · Dezeen Virtual Design Festival · London · UK
2019
10.2019 · ArtEZ Labyrinth of Sustainability (group exhibition) · Embassy of Sustainability · Dutch Design Week · Eindhoven · The Netherlands
09.2019 · Raw Assembly (group exhibition & fair) · Melbourne · Australia
09.2019 · Barrett Barrera Projects at Seattle Art Fair (group exhibition & fair) · Seattle · USA
09.2019 · Biofabrication in Fashion, curated by Open BioFabrics (group exhibition & fair) · Avantex · Paris · France
11.05.2019 – 02.09.2019 · A Queen Within: Adorned Archetypes (group exhibition) · MoPOP · Seattle · USA
04.2019 · Raw Assembly (group exhibition & fair) · Sydney · Australia
02.2019 · Design Shanghai x Neuni Group (group exhibition & fair) · Shanghai · China
01.2019 · ColourNext 2019 (group exhibition & fair) · India Design ID · New Delhi · India
01-2019 · Future Fabrics Expo by The Sustainable Angle (group exhibition & fair) – Victoria House · London · UK
2018
15.11.2018 · Circular Experience (group exhibition) · Corporate Fashion Award · Hulstkamp gebouw · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
10.2018 · Bioneers Conference · The Change Makers Fair · San Rafael, CA · USA
20.10.2018 – 28.10.2018 · Fashion? Future Design for the Present (group exhibition) · Dutch Design Week · Campina Melkontvangst · Eindhoven · The Netherlands
20.10.2018 – 28.10.2018 · Work in Process (group exhibition) · Dutch Design Week · Klokgebouw · Eindhoven · The Netherlands
05.09.2018 – 28.09.2018 · Colour Via (group exhibition) · London Design Festival · Surface Matter · London · UK
03.09.2018 – 12.10.2018 · Fashioning the Future (group exhibition) · Impulse · Wageningen University & Research · Wageningen · The Netherlands
06.2018 – 08.2018 · State of Fashion – Searching for the New Luxury (group exhibition) · Melkfabriek · Arnhem · The Netherlands
2017
16.09.2017 · Night of Art and Science · group exhibition & workshop · Leiden · The Netherlands 30.08.2017 · Future Flight Movie Night · exhibition & talk · BlueCity · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
06.06.2017 · Fashion Innovation & Sustainability · group exhibition & talk · Venture Café · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
06.2017 – 07.2017 · Fashion Makes Sense LAB · exhibition & workshops · FashionClash Festival · SAM Decorfabriek · Maastricht · The Netherlands
06.2017 – 11.2017 · Earth Matters · group exhibition · TextielMuseum · Tilburg · The Netherlands 01.2017 · reVISIONing textile · group exhibition · Schatjes art + events · Amsterdam · The Netherlands
2016
07.2016 · FashionClash Festival (designer market) · SAM Decorfabriek · Maastricht · The Netherlands
2011
09.2011 – 11.2011 · Bring it On (group exhibition) · Ship of Fools gallery · The Hague · The Netherlands
Books
written or featured
written
Smart Clothes and Wearable Technology · Jane McCann, David Bryson · written: chapter 10. Smart colour: textile innovation in colouration from manufacturing techniques to applications for smart clothing and wearable technology · Woodhead Publishing 2022
featured
Der Stoff Aus Dem Die Zukunft Ist · Markus Petruch, Dominik Walcher · featured project “Living Colour” · FinanzBuch Verlag 2022
The Colour Bible · Laura Perryman · featured project “Living Colour” · Octopus Books / Ilex 2021
Unfolding Fashion Tech · Marina Toeters · featured project “Living Colour” · Onomatopee Publishers 2020
Talks
lectures, podcasts, tv, radio
2021
21.10.2021 · “Inclusivity Talks: Visual Impairments” · Dutch Design Week · Embassy of Inclusive Society · Eindhoven · The Netherlands
17.05.2021 · “Textile/Fiber Design – Collaborating with Nature” · webinar · Fiberspace Gallery · Stockholm · Sweden
11.05.2021 · Analog Eco Symposium · De Grafische Werkplaats · The Hague · The Netherlands
29.04.2021 · “Maintaining tradition in a transitory world“ · webinar · Center for Culture and Development · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
05.02.2021 · “Chromarama: the role of design in colour blindness” · online · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
02.2021 · Renske Mennen · Future Visions ep.4 “How bacterial dyeing can change the toxic fashion industry” · podcast
2020
11.2020 · BlueCity · The Growcast ep.5 “Natural textile dyeing with bacteria” · podcast
29.10.2020 · Webinar “Design Method: Working from personal fascination” · Center for Culture and Development · Rotterdam
21.10.2020 · Dutch Design Week Talk “To Reassure Reality“ · Online · Eindhoven · The Netherlands
19.10.2020 · Dutch Design Week Talkshow by NBTC Holland Marketing · Effenaar · Eindhoven · The Netherlands
12.10.2020 – 13.10.2020 · Guest lecture Material Futures · HKU Fashion Design · Utrecht · The Netherlands
18.06.2020 · BNR News Radio · De Ochtendspits · live interview project Design to Fade: PUMA x Living Colour
18.06.2020 · Omroep Wetering · interview project Design to Fade: PUMA x Living Colour
04.06.2020 · Dutch talkshow Studio Circulair
30.01.2020 · BNO IMG LAB: Fashion · Het Nieuwe Instituut · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
23.01.2020 · Future of Fashion; a panel discussion · Erasmus University · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
2019
20.11.2019 · Dutch Fashion TV show Hip voor Nop
16.11.2019 · Getting Closer Fashion Festival panel discussion · De Wasserij · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
03.2019 · TEDxRotterdam: Raising the Bar · Theater Rotterdam Schouwburg · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
12.02.2019 · The Future of Living Materials · round table · Avantex · Paris · France
16.01.2019 · Embassy Lab Water Conscious Fashion · Neonyt · Berlin · Germany
2018
11.12.2018 · guest lecture for 3rd year biological and medical laboratory research bachelor students · Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
30.11.2018 · Colour Materialized Symposium · Avans University of Applied Sciences AKV|St Joost · Breda · The Netherlands
25.10.2018 · Design Research & Innovation Festival (DRIVE) · NatLab · Eindhoven · The Netherlands
2017
09.11.2017 · TextielCommissie Symposium Natural Dyeing · Cultural Heritage Agency · Amersfoort · The Netherlands
30.08.2017 · Future Flight Movie Night · BlueCity · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
06.06.2017 · Fashion Innovation & Sustainability · Venture Café · Rotterdam · The Netherlands
Awards
awards, grants, residencies
2022
Isola Design Awards 2022 · Design award · project “Chromarama” shortlisted in design category Textile
Creative Industries Fund NL · Design grant “Bouwen aan Talent” · project “Blended Fibres” (work in progress)
2021
Dezeen Awards 2021 · Design award · project “Chromarama” shortlisted in design category Homeware, winner 3rd place in Public Vote
European light industries innovation and technology (ELIIT) project · European grant · project “BInc” in cooperation with Living Colour and Vienna Textile Lab
Droom & Daad Foundation · Design grant · project “Chromarama 2.0” in cooperation with Tegendraads
2020
Taskforce Fashion 2020 · Residency for Responsible Fashion
Creative Industries Fund NL · Design grant · project “Chromarama”
Stokroos Foundation · Art & Design grant · project “Chromarama”
2019
Greenpact Impact Award · won by our ACT-students team from Wageningen University & Research for “Living Colour” research
Creative Industries Fund NL · Voucher foreign presentation · project “Living Colour” at Future Fabrics Expo London
2018
Future Fashion Pioneers · nomination · by Dutch TV show VPRO Tegenlicht for project “Living Colour”
Bankgiro Lottery Fund · grant · project The Future of Living Materials in collaboration with CoE ArtEZ Future Makers and Wageningen University & Research (WUR)
