Ernst Karl Jörns is a German fashion and textile designer, artist, and educator based in Florence, Italy, whose work explores the dialogue between fashion, art, and material culture. Born in Santiago de Cali, Colombia, and educated between South America and Europe, his practice is shaped by a cross-cultural perspective that blends architectural thinking, craftsmanship, and experimental textile processes.
Trained initially in architecture in Rio de Janeiro, Jörns later specialized in garment construction and textile design, graduating from the International Fashion Institute of Florence (ENT–ART Polimoda). Since the mid-1980s, he has developed an independent practice that spans fashion collections, artistic textile printing, hand-painted fabrics, and site-specific textile works for both wearable and interior contexts. His textiles function as visual narratives, where color, gesture, and surface become expressive tools bridging art and design.
In 2009, he founded La Serra MK Textile Atelier in Florence, a studio dedicated to artistic textile printing, bespoke fabrics, panels, and research-driven projects for fashion and interior design. The atelier also serves as a platform for experimentation, workshops, and collaborations with designers, brands, and cultural institutions.
Alongside his artistic practice, Jörns has maintained a long-standing academic career, teaching textile design, fabric styling, and fashion trend research at leading international institutions including Polimoda, IED – Istituto Europeo di Design, LDM – Lorenzo de’ Medici, Accademia Europea di Firenze, and Kent State University Florence. His lectures focus on the intersection of fashion trends, contemporary art, historical references, and artisanal textile techniques within a global cultural framework.
His work has been exhibited in museums, galleries, and international textile festivals in Italy, the United Kingdom, Colombia, and Brazil, including projects with the Museo del Tessuto di Prato, the Stibbert Museum of Florence, and the Museo del Novecento in Milan. Through both his creative and educational work, Ernst Karl Jörns continues to advocate for textiles as a critical medium of artistic expression and a vital language within contemporary fashion culture.

TEXTILE DESIGN - THE HISTORY OF FASHION