Max Glaubrecht is a design engineering student at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, with a major in textile. He is a textile all-rounder and has already exhibited his work in two galleries.
After completing his apprenticeship as a tailor and finishing a trainee programme, he has been head of department in the textile retail trade. Now his heart beats for designing various textiles.

Why did you decide to study at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences?
I completed my A-levels with a focus on fashion in Frankfurt am Main and before that I did an apprenticeship as a tailor. I have always heard a lot of good things about the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences from teachers everywhere, which is why I decided to study here in Mönchengladbach. I am very satisfied with my degree programme. I can fully express my creativity here.

What experience do you already have in the textile industry?
After completing a trainee programme in the textile retail trade, I worked as a department head there for a year. I would like to gain the necessary experience in all areas of the textile value chain. In my opinion, theory and practice simply belong together.

How are you currently progressing with your studies?
I am now in the 5th semester of my Bachelor’s degree. If Corona doesn’t mess up my plans, I’ll be in Hong Kong for a semester abroad starting from January. When I come back in April, I will be writing my Bachelor’s thesis. And if everything goes well, I’ll then be a design engineer with a major in textiles.

On what topic do you want to write your Bachelor’s thesis?
I would like to bring the topics of textiles and digitization together. At the university I now participate in a project in which we work together in interdisciplinary groups with the company Sonepar Deutschland GmbH. Sonepar is the largest international electrical wholesaler. We are developing a carpet which is equipped with sensors. The main focus here is on safety aspects, for example if someone falls, or that the light turns on automatically if someone stands on such a carpet in front of the door looking for the key. I would also like to work on the subject of Smart Textiles in my Bachelor thesis.

You have already showed your work in two exhibitions. What was the theme of these exhibitions?
I have dealt with tufting, a technique for the production of three-dimensional textile surfaces. This is a process for making carpets. Nowadays the production is done with robots, but here at the university we have the possibility to learn it by hand. I have tried to use the tufting technique to make upholstery fabrics for sofas, so that a sofa can be made to match the environment. In terms of sustainability, the upholstery fabrics can be easily replaced using Velcro fasteners. This is particularly suitable for hotels or museums. A museum could then customise the fabric to suit different exhibitions, but always use the same sofa or bench. I have created a total of 12 carpets, which were exhibited in the galleries OFFSPACE10 in Mönchengladbach and RAUCH in Krefeld. That was a very special experience for me.

How do you like this region?
Before this, I only lived in large cities and I am a big fan of Mönchengladbach. I find that you can expand your network very easily here. There are a lot of people here who want to make a difference, and everything is within reach; I can get to Düsseldorf or the Netherlands quickly. I wouldn’t have thought it before, but I can well imagine staying in Mönchengladbach in the future.