View the ongoing activities, events, and applied research emerging from RAU, and explore the practical dimensions of contemporary textile inquiry and innovation.

The RAU team were excited to support our students at the 2025 Lexus Design Award this week! Now in its sixth year, the Award received 90 submissions from students across four universities: Auckland University of Technology, University of Auckland, Massey University of Wellington and Victoria University of Wellington, with two showcases across Te Whanganui-a-Tara and Tāmaki. A huge congratulations to all the student entries, and especially to AUT winner Oliver Lloyd, with winning project Roll a Rat (a"flat-pack biodegradable rat bait station that controls invasive rodents while dispersing native seeds to regenerate ecosystems"), and AUT runner-up Christine Botha for NiraFlow (a "greywater filter using wool to capture microplastics, protecting both human health and the environment").

AUT Industrial Design and RAU Textiles Research is proud to present the culmination of the Year Two Strong Wool paper, with the Shear Wool Power exhibition opening in Te Wai Ngutu Kākā Gallery on October 22. With thanks to our Industry Partners: Woolworks, Lisa Portas, Autex Acoustics, Wisewool, Maxwell Rodgers, Fleecegrow, Bremworth, Rubisco

As part of the 2025 Art & Design Research Showcase, Jyoti presented the development of RAU's foundational framework, setting the groundwork for the future of RAU Textile Research Centre. It was a fantastic opportunity to share with our colleagues, and to learn more about recent research undertaken throughout the School, as well as connect with our fellow Art & Design Research Centres, Virtual Creative Design and Vā Moana.

“Ko ‘etau lea, ko e fe’unu mahu’inga ia ki he mo’ui ‘a e Tonga – Our language is a vital strand of our Tongan culture.” Celebrating Tongan Language Week, PhD candidate, RAU researcher, and practitioner Sia Ngata shares with @AutPacific "how she grounds her walk and way as a Tongan. The idea of a “strand” resonates with her research and practice in craft and textile making, where contemporary ngatu and garment making serve as spaces to weave together knowledge, identity, and creative expression."

The RAU Textile Research team from AUT taught participants how to get hands-on with their very own experimental woven creation using a mini loom. This playful workshop was open to all ages and skill levels, bringing curiosity and a willingness to weave a little wonder.

As Semester Two kicks off in AUT's School of Art and Design, second year students in Experimental Surfaces and Spatial Design have been experimenting with the RAU mini looms. RAU supported lecturers Jennifer, Callum, Lucy, Nooroa, and Emma to provide mini-loom weaving workshops for their second year classes, with Arielle also sharing weaving, whatu, and material-gathering examples from her recent research alongside inspiration from Aotearoa-based makers including Kauae Raro, Mata Aho Collective, Esther Toclo, and Karen Rubado. 

A soft launch for the new RAU Textiles Facility!   Semester Two in the School of Art and Design is in full swing this week, and the RAU Textiles Facility has been humming with activity as students officially fill the new space for the first time. Finn and Dan have been busy inducting students from across the School  — including Fashion, Experimental Surfaces, Spatial, Visual Arts, and Postgrad — into the RAU Facility processes, and welcoming our regular users back into the fold. We can't wait to see their designs, ideas and experiments unfold over the coming weeks.  

We were excited to share the RAU facility this week with our fantastic colleagues across the Art & Design labs (including the 3D Fabrication, Wet Lab, Digifab, and Bindery), who came to visit ahead of the facility officially opening to students with the start of Semester Two.   

AUT recently welcomed students from our Iti Kōpara Schools Partnership Programme. 70 Year 11 tauira from across 7 schools in Tāmaki Makaurau visited to take a look around the City Campus, including spending a morning with the RAU Textiles team learning about our textiles facilities and having a go with the felting loom.