Henrike Schmitz studied textile and surface design at Kunsthochschule Weißensee Berlin and the Swedish Textile School in Borås. As a trained men's tailor she worked also for several labels. In her research she is focussing on recycling methods and strategies of implementation within knitted structures - - designing with and on machines. After being a process engineer at SOEX, she is now teaching at Burg Giebichenstein. Her conceptual work focuses on material situationships and regional production plaque in places with locally grown textile knowledge.