Susanne Goetz

Education

BA, University of Applied Science, Muenchberg
MSc, North Carolina State University
Certificate, De Montfort University

2017–2018 State University of New York Chancellor’s Grant for Innovative Study Abroad Programs
2022–2023 FIT Faculty Excellence Award

 

Biography  

Susanne Goetz is a textile designer, educator, and researcher whose work connects traditional craftsmanship with digital production and sustainable biomaterials. Since 2024, she has chaired the Textile/Surface Design Department at FIT where she has been a faculty member since 2008.

Goetz's global approach to design is rooted in an international background. After earning her BA in Textile Design in Germany, she moved to the United States as a Fulbright Scholar to complete an MSc in Textile and Apparel Technology Management at North Carolina State University. Before settling in New York, she built her teaching career in the UK, lecturing at DeMontfort University and developing an online learning resource for textiles at UMIST.

Goetz's expertise is in printed textile design, with a special focus on both digital and traditional approaches to design and production, as well as sustainable global artisan practices. She also researches, designs, and teaches at the intersection of design and science.  As the co-inventor of a patented microbial cellulose biotextile—featured in Environmental Science: Advances and Netflix’s The Future of Fashion—she continues to develop innovative materials and sustainable surface design processes. She advised student teams for the BioDesign Challenge and undertook advanced fiber research with MIT.

Dedicated to mentoring the next generation of designers, Goetz created and leads the "Textile Arts in India" short term study abroad program, for which she received the SUNY Chancellor's Grant for Innovative Study Abroad Programs. Her work in education and research has earned her the FIT Faculty Excellence Award, as well as diversity council, sustainability, and research release time grants.

Goetz serves on the editorial board for The Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice and has guest edited a special issue “Creating Health and Wellbeing.” Her work is exhibited in group shows nationally and internationally.

Research Interests

printed textile design (digital and traditional approaches to design and production); sustainable global artisan practices; biotextiles; textiles as a medium for communication and identity 

Selected Publications 

"Editorial." Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1080/20511787.2022.2135678. Authors: S. Goetz

"Microbial Nanocellulose Biotextiles for a Circular Materials Economy." Environmental Science: Advances. 2022. Link. Authors: T. Schiros, R. Antrobus, D. Farías, Y.-T. Chiu, C. T. Joseph, S. Esdaille, G. K. Sanchirico, G. Miquelon, D. An, S. T. Russell, A. M. Chitu, S. Goetz, A. M. Verploegh Chassé, C. Nuckolls, S. K. Kumar, H. H. Lu

"Development of a Prototype of a Wearable Flexible Electro-Optical Imaging System for the Breast." Biophotonics Congress: Biomedical Optics 2020 (Translational, Microscopy, OCT, OTS, BRAIN), OSA Technical Digest (Optica Publishing Group). 2020. Link. Authors: F. Wang, Y. Kim, M. Altoe, A. Marone, B. Trippeer, A. Edwards, A. Sperber, S. Goetz, T. Schiros, I. Kymissis, A. Hielscher

"The Jaipur/NYC Kurta—an Experimental Interdisciplinary and International Student Collaboration in CAD and Hand Embroidery." Fashion Colloquia, Jaipur, India. January 2020. Link. Authors: S. Goetz, G. Purohit

"Sustainability in Textile Design Education at Technology Institutes." Proceedings of the International Conference on Fashion and Textiles, Jodhpur, India. March 2015. Link. Authors: S. Goetz, N. Kleinman

"Textile Design Inspiration: Past & Present." Surface Design Association Blog. January 2014. Link. Authors: S. Goetz

"Digital Randomness as an Inspirational Design Tool." TRIP: Textiles Research in Process symposium, Loughborough, UK. November 2011. Link. Authors: S. Goetz

"Design and implementation of an online teaching and learning resource for textile design, arts and crafts." Art Libraries Journal. 2004. Link. Authors: S. Goetz, J. Lambert, R. Studd

"Modeling the future of mass customized textile and apparel products - a case study." World Congress on Mass Customization and Personalization, Hong Kong. 2001. Link. Authors: S. Goetz, E. Kuehn

"Beyond Quick Response: In the Digital Age, Will Zero Movement Become the Holy Grail for the Textile and Apparel Industries?" Textile Institute World Conference, Melbourne, Australia. April 2001. Link. Authors: S. Goetz, P. Kilduff, H. Hergeth

"The Textile and Apparel Industries - Another Century, Another Paradigm: Developing New Concepts of Industry and Trade in a Virtual World." Textile Institute World Conference, Melbourne, Australia. April 2001. Link. Authors: S. Goetz, P. Kilduff 

Conferences and Presentations 

Lessons at the interface: Bridging Design and Scientific Inquiry in Fashion Innovation, IFFTI Annual Conference, RMIT Vietnam, April 2026

Commemorating the UN at 80: Hand-Printed Scarves by FIT Textile/Surface Design Students, Globally Connected @ FIT, NYC, December 2025

Commemorating the UN at 80: Hand-Printed Scarves by FIT Textile/Surface Design Students, UN Sustainable Fashion Society (UN headquarters), NYC, October 2025

Designing with Emerging Materials: A model for project based STEAM education, Bio-Inspired Green (BIG) Science & Technology Symposium at the Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) CUNY, NYC, April 2023

Sustainability in the Classroom, FIT Annual Sustainable Business & Design conference, NYC, April 2022

Advanced Fiber and Fabrics Workshop, MITANDFIT Advanced Fiber and Fabrics Workshop, NYC, January 2022

Wax Print, Film screening and Q&A with director, NYC, November 2021

Stitching Life: Exploring the Art of Embroidering Clothes and Repairing Hearts, Globally Connected @ FIT, NYC, March 2021

Advanced Fiber and Fabrics Workshop, MITANDFIT Advanced Fiber and Fabrics Workshop, NYC, January 2021

Advanced Fiber and Fabrics Workshop, MITANDFIT Advanced Fiber and Fabrics Workshop, NYC, June 2019

Sustainability in the Classroom, FIT Annual Sustainable Business & Design conference, NYC, April 2019

Digital Embroidery- Traditional Craft & Emerging Technology, Pathways to Innovation FIT, NYC, March 2019

How can Indian Handlooms & Handicrafts create a sustainable economy in the Fashion Industry?, Textile India Conference by invitation of the Indian Ministry of Textiles, Ahmedabad India, July 2017

Conductive Embroidery, Summer Institute Sustainability in Fashion and Textiles FIT, NYC, June 2017

Iron and Plant Printing, Summer Institute Sustainability in Fashion and Textiles FIT, NYC, June 2016

Giving Students a Voice, SUNY Conference on Instruction & Technology, Potsdam NY, June 2016

Rust Printing, Summer Institute Sustainability in Fashion and Textiles FIT, NYC, June 2015

Digital Randomness as an Inspirational Design Tool, TRIP: Textiles Research in Process symposium, Loughborough UK, November 2011

Slow Design - Is the recession the perfect time to slow down?, Annual Sustainable Business & Design conference FIT, NYC, April 2009  

Exhibitions 

• Biennale Matter of Art 2026, National Gallery Prague, Prague, Czech Republic, 2026
• Commemorating the UN at 80: Hand-Printed Scarves by FIT Textile/Surface Design Students, UN headquarters Albano Building and FIT Feldman lobby, NY, December 2025 – January 2026
• Gotham Foundry Kick-off Event, Columbia University, NY, 2025
• Touch Me: Feeling Fashion, William Paterson University, NJ, 2024
• Pattern, the Grid, and Other Systems, FIT Art and Design Gallery, 2023
• Crafting Change, Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, 2022
• Style Journey, FIT Art and Design Gallery, 2021
• Crafting Change, Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, 2018
• New Views, Fashion Institute of Technology, 2018
• Crafting Change, Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, 2017
• New Views, Fashion Institute of Technology, 2016
• New Views, Fashion Institute of Technology, 2015
• New Views, Fashion Institute of Technology, 2014
• Transformation, Fashion Institute of Technology, 2013
• Lightness, Fashion Institute of Technology, 2010
• A New Hive, Earnest Sewn, NY, 2008 

Grants 

• FIT FDGA Grant, Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY), 2026
• FIT FDGA Grant, Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY), 2022
• Grant for Art Projects (Co-PI), National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), 2021
• President’s Diversity Council Grant, Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY), 2021
• President’s Diversity Council Grant, Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY), 2019
• Semester-long sabbatical, Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY), 2019
• Chancellor's Grant for Innovative Study Abroad Programs (ISAP Grant), SUNY, 2018
• Release Time for Research Grant, Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY), 2016
• FIT FDGA Grant, Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY), 2016
• President’s Sustainability Council Grant, Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY), 2015
• FIT FDGA Grant, Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY), 2015

Awards 

• FIT Faculty Excellence Award, 2023, Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY),
• Advanced Functional Fabrics of America Micro Award, 2020, AFFOA,
• Fulbright Scholarship, 1999-2000, The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State

Professional Affiliations

Advisory Board, Change Fashion Challenge, New York Academy of Sciences, 2017/2018

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK, since 2006

Member of the American Alliance of Museums, since 2023 

Editorial Activities

Editorial Advisory Board, The Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice, 2012 to date

Guest editor, Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice, 2022. Special Issue “Creating Health and Wellbeing”. 

Patent

Schiros, R. Antrobus, S. Goetz, A. M. Verploegh Chassé, D. An, S.T. Russell, S. Esdaille, C.T. Joseph, A. Wong, and D. Shepelsky, D. Esposito, and H. H. Lu. WO2021146484 - Biofabrication and Microbial Cellulose Biotextile. International Patent Application PCT/US2021/013518 filed January 14, 2021 based on U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/960,775.

Courses

• TD 114 Computer Aided Print Design 
• TD 161 Fundamentals of Screen Printing 
• TD 203 Textile Arts in India (Short Term Study Abroad Program)
• TD/SC 204 Designing with Emerging Materials (Interdisciplinary)
• TD 207 Adobe Illustrator for TSD 
• TD 211 Design Research in Paris (Short Term Study Abroad Program)
• TD 262 Advanced Screen Print
• TD 313 Advanced Photoshop and Illustrator
• TD 361 Screen printing Scarves- A Global Perspective
• TD 362 Screen Printing Accessory Design

Connect

Instagram: @goetz.susanne

LinkedIn