Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman

Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman, FIDSA, is an expert in human interaction, wearable products, and smart textiles. She is a pioneering researcher in design methodologies and smart materials, and has been a Professor of Industrial Design at Pratt Institute for over 25 years. Rebeccah was inducted into the prestigious IDSA Academy of Fellows (FISDA) in recognition of her contributions to the design field, particularly in promoting diversity.

She brings over two decades of corporate experience in performance athletic apparel, soft goods, and consumer product design, having held leadership roles at Fila, Champion, and Nike. As founder of Interwoven Design Group, she leads projects that bridge fashion, engineering, material science, and product design. Recent collaborations include Shark/Ninja, Nevro, and HeroWear. Notable projects include working with NASA and Vanderbilt University’s Zelik Lab on exosuits, and participation in the Mars Centennial Challenge with the winning SEArch+ team.

Rebeccah’s design work has earned international recognition, including a Fast Company 2024 Innovation by Design Award, IDEA Gold Award and a Core77 Design Award for accessible design. She is the author of Smart Textiles for Designers: Inventing the Future of Fabrics, and regularly speaks on innovation and the future of design. In addition to her work at Interwoven, Rebeccah is an accomplished ceramic artist, focusing on nature-inspired forms and alchemical processes.

B.F.A. Fashion Design, Pratt Institute; M.I.D., Pratt Institute; Computer Graphics and Graphic Design, School of Visual Arts; Millinery Design, Fashion Institute of Technology.