Since completing her masters in Woven Textile Design at the RCA, Hannah’s career within Textiles has spanned industrial production, historical textiles, design, consultancy, research and education. She co-founded a woven R&D studio, Norn Design, developing bespoke fabrics with clients in London, New York and Italy. Following her passion for sustainable design and traditional crafts, Hannah spent an extended period in Japan where she worked as a consultant and woven designer. She has extensive knowledge of manufacturing processes and sustainable schools of thought. Hannah applies her diverse experience to every project she undertakes resulting in a distinctive approach routed in technique and process. Core competencies include:

• Research, innovation, design and production – Sustainable woven textiles
• Sustainable approaches to design including Biomimicry, Circular Economics and Regenerative Design.
• Problem solving and tactile knowledge exchange

Sue specialises in research on small business policy and practice. Key areas have included ethnic minority, migrant and refugee enterprise, the fast food sector, and creative industries.  Her experience includes over 20 years of evaluating a range of programmes and projects for the European Commission, central and local UK government, Research Councils, academic institutions, the private and not for profit sector. She is competent in the use of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and believes in working with organisations to identify what has worked well and why, and to identify the lessons learnt that can help inform future practice. Her studies have frequently incorporated the development of policy documents and toolkits designed to provide practitioners with practical support in tackling complex issues.

Following almost 30 years of research, experimentation and practical experience Debbie has been awarded Associate of the Society of Dyers and Colourists for her Natural Dye work and is recognised across Europe for her depth of knowledge. She established her brand The Mulberry Dyer in the mid-1990s, received a “Green Achiever” award for her practices and is keen to maintain and encourage bioregional regenerative textile systems. Examples of work can be seen in the V & A Museum, Hampton Court Palace, the Globe Theatre and other prestigious heritage venues. As a consultant to Industry, she has spearheaded research into natural dye application for carpets and high-end knitwear. Currently, a Post Graduate Researcher studying the environmental impacts of natural dyes and mordants including the relation to the fastness of colours.

Lipi has over fifteen years’ experience as an educator of contemporary fashion business cultures. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). Lipi has industry experience in fashion retail, social enterprise and trend forecasting, and has worked as a sustainability consultant for the United Nations, Better Work in Textiles and Garments project for the Bangladesh Ready-made Garment Sector. She regularly advises local charities and schools on fashion and textiles projects. She is co-editor of the book South Asian Youth Cultures: Fashion Media and Society (Bloomsbury 2018). Core skills and competencies include:

• Multidisciplinary fashion research
• Global consumer cultures
• Community engagement and enterprise

Louise is a fashion designer, maker and researcher. Having worked in-house for brands such as Roksanda and Toogood, she has rich experience of the fashion supply chain: from textile manufacture through design, product development, production and ultimately delivering to the market. At the RCA she lectures on the study platform ‘Systems’ and contributes to academic research within the Fashion Department and the Material Science Research Centre. Her interest lies in transparency, craft, manufacture and their combined communication. Core skills and competencies include:

• Future fashion systems and business models
• Materiality and make, from craft to industrial scales
• Communication and storytelling surrounding provenance and manufacture

Tracy is a University leader with a mission to integrate enterprise into all aspects of academic work, and with extensive experience of developing and implementing strategies with attention to fairness, accountability and empowerment.  Tracy’s role includes working with internal and external stakeholders up to Government Ministerial level. Alongside her leadership responsibilities, she is also Professor of Sustainable Design and therefore holds a strong interest for effecting change within an industry expressing increasing commitment to sustainable practice. Core skills and competencies include:

• Leadership and project direction
• Sustainable design consultancy
• Knowledge Transfer Partnership development

Emiliano Bilotti’s research focuses on the Processing-Structure-Property relationship in polymer nanocomposites and, more recently, on smart polymers (sensing, self-regulating flexible heaters) and polymers for energy (organic thermoelectrics, ferroelectric/relaxor polymers).

EB is author/co-author of over 80 peer-reviewed papers (h-index of 28), 4 book chapters and 5 patents. EB’s research has been supported by a variety of agencies, including the European Council (EC), Innovate UK and the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) or received direct support from industry. He is passionate about STEM Outreach and Knowledge Transfer (Winner of the KTP Engineering Excellence Award 2019).

Core skills and competences include:

• Polymer Processing; Polymer nanocomposites; Smart Polymer Materials; Polymer for Energy.

Richard is a chemist with a passion for textile science; all his research is undertaken in partnership with industry and with a strong sustainability lens. His vision is for a future where alternative materials match the performance of traditional synthetic or unsustainable natural fibres. Richard’s experience includes developing alternative fibres for textiles, from sourcing raw material to processing and finishing. Core skills and competences include:

• Alternative materials development
• Sustainable dyeing and coloration for textiles
• Contract chemistry research

Philippa has an interdisciplinary practice developed over twenty five years as an academic, researcher, international designer, editor, curator, strategist and artist within the field of digital woven textiles and materials. Philippa’s primary research interests lie in developing disruptive approaches to 2D and 3D digital industrial manufacturing, woven jacquard loom methods, in collaboration with industry-leading to novel design solutions. She also manages the Woven Textile Pathway at CSM, is part of the Textile Futures Research Community and exhibits jacquard woven art works globally. Additionally, Philippa edits The Weave Shed, an open source online resource site, and blog for professional weavers and is Co-founder of Studio Houndstooth; a collaborative studio creating socially innovated projects that use methods of textile making to bring together industry and the local community. Core skills and competencies include:

• Design innovation, Education, and Research Leadership – sustainable digital woven textiles and materials.
• Academic and industry knowledge exchange  innovation
• Project management

James’s primary research interests lie in the functional properties of soft materials, with particular focus on elastomers, including the design of smart textiles (smart-strain sensing or colour-changing flexible fibres), and the recycling of elastomers. Prior to joining QMUL, James designed suspension components for companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo and Mercedes. The majority of his research is undertaken in close collaboration with industry, as demonstrated by industry-funded PhD students and research projects with companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, Hyundai and Schlumberger Oilfield. James also maintains an interest in innovation with teaching at FE and HE level, especially incorporating industrial placements to improve graduate employability. Core skills and competences include:

• Soft matter engineering
• Smart materials
• Industrial research degree design

Rebecca combines expertise in transdisciplinary design with an enterprising mindset.  She leads collaborative research projects which draw together different disciplines across design, the arts, sciences and humanities around complex societal challenges, with high levels of partnership involvement. She is the Associate Dean for Enterprise in the School of Design and Creative Arts at Loughborough University, Professor in Transdisciplinary Design and is the current Vice-Chair of the Design Research Society.

Core skills and competencies include:

• Leadership and project direction
• Knowledge Exchange
• Transdisciplinary research methods

Liz is a designer, researcher and educator with over 20 years of experience working across product and fashion accessories. She is a consultant and collaborator on multi-disciplinary creative research and innovation projects within Innovate UK, Arts Council England and Kings College Research. She exhibited internationally and received commissions from the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) New York for Items: Is Fashion Modern?. She was also shortlisted for Beazley Designs of the Year and Design Museum awards, nominated for The Arts Foundation Material Innovation Fellowship, and a finalist for International Talent Support 2013 for accessories.

Gary is the Professor of Surface & Interface Science at Loughborough University. He has spent over thirty years developing high performance coatings to address industrial challenges, particularly in the automotive, aerospace, military and space sectors. He has a strong track record of collaborating with both other research providers and industrialists to provide innovative coating solutions in applications such as: hexavalent chromium-free corrosion protection schemes for aerospace and space applications; pretreatments for structural bonding of airframes and armour; ultrahydrophobic coatings for aerofoil surfaces; stealth coatings for windfarms, and; oil-water separation technologies. Gary would be delighted to be a conduit to help transfer some of the technologies developed in these other sectors into the fashion industry. Gary has:

•  A good understanding of coating processes from the atomic-scale upwards and the role of chemistry and structure in determining properties across widespread applications;
• Extensive experience of progressing material coating solutions from the laboratory (TRL1) to application in the real world, in high performance applications (TRL 9), and;
• Ability to put together teams of researchers and industrial partners; such collaborative partnerships are now often required to address the grand societal challenges.

Emma is both a Senior Lecturer at The Cass School of Architecture, Art and Design (London Metropolitan University) and a PhD candidate in Material Culture at UCL. Her inter-disciplinary research interests include everyday dress, sartorial expertise, design studies, ethics, museology and educational theory. As a University Teaching Fellow at The Cass, Emma is developing pedagogical projects around academic identity and communities of practice. Her PhD project is focused on the concept and practice of expertise amongst dress specialists in California as  understood through the lens of social cognition, design thinking and fashion studies.

Mark (Dino) Dinoulis was involved in some of the early pioneering research into machine learning whilst studying Computer Science at Manchester University during the 80s. He then went on to build a career within the Fin Tech industry, managing the development of Investment Banking Financial Risk Management Systems before deciding to move his career in a more creative direction, completing an MA Fashion Photography degree at UAL where he used leading edge technologies and machine learning to create captivating visual works within the domain of fashion, costume and performance. Dino’s work on the BFTT programme, focusses on the application of Deep Generative Learning models as an enabler of sustainable fashion. He is currently investigating the use of Generative models in the reconstruction of 3D human body shape and form and for the real-time photorealistic rendering of fabric and garments. Core skills and competencies

• Machine learning
• Augmented reality
• Fashion photography
• Project management

Adam Drazin is an anthropology lecturer at UCL (University College London), where he coordinates the MA in Material and Visual Culture and teaches design anthropology. His work has been published in books and journals including Ethnos, Social Anthropology and the Journal of Design History.  He is co-editor of the journal Home Cultures and recently edited, with Susanne Küchler (2015), the volume The Social Life of Materials, about anthropological and ethnographic approaches to materials and materials innovation.  His forthcoming book on Design and Anthropology will be published by Routledge.

• Design Anthropology
• Material Culture
• Ethnography

As the former BFTT Partnership Director, Graeme draws on over 40 years experience in project management in international industry working for UK and US as director of a design consultancy and cultural facility; and as a leading research and policy expert on the creative industries in UK and Dutch universities. He has led over 30 research projects for Research Councils, UK government, the European Commission, cultural agencies and industry/trade bodies. In his role as a research centre and institute director, he has attracted over £25m in R&D funding. This has included leading large research consortia working on themes such as city growth, electric vehicles, sustainable design, rapid prototyping and digital clusters (e.g. Digital Shoreditch/Tech City). Graeme regularly advises the UK Culture Ministry and other agencies, as well as overseas cultural and economic ministries (e.g. OECD) on creative city and industries strategy, including programme evaluation and investment appraisal. He has held chairs/professorships in Design at both Brunel and Middlesex Universities, specialising in sustainable/urban design and innovation. He is currently Emeritus Professor at the University of the Arts London,  where he previously served as Professor in Creative and Cultural Economy.

Following a career in the aerospace industry, and as Engineering Systems Manager at Martin-Baker Engineering – the world’s leading manufacturer of ejection seats, Steve transitioned to researching and developing sustainable solutions for industrial manufacturing. Since joining the University of Cambridge as Director of the Centre for Industrial Sustainability, he has led over £15m-worth of academic-industry collaborative projects with partners including Unilever, Toyota, Dyson, Airbus, M&S, JLR, ASICS, Hugo Boss, Brandix and ASDA. Core skills and competences include:

• Sustainable business consultancy for manufacturing
• Toolkit development
• Industrial collaboration

Laetitia Forst is a textile designer and researcher, her practice explores the tension between technical challenges and creativity in sustainable design for textiles. Her PhD research project at the Centre for Circular Design at University of the Arts London aims to explore design driven solutions for incorporating ease of recyclability into textiles. The project takes a pro-active approach to developing alternatives to the unsustainable status-quo in the creation of blends through the use of design for disassembly. Laetitia also teaches on the MA Textile Design and short courses at UAL. Core competencies:

• Design for disassembly
• Practice research methodologies
• Circular and sustainable textile design

Kate is Professor of Circular Design and Innovation and Co-Director of the Centre for Circular Design at UAL, a world-leading research centre using practice research to innovate, steer and support circular economies and communities around the globe. Kate’s design research operates at the intersection of materials science with design and sustainability principles. As industry and Governments raise the priority of sustainable business, Kate has undertaken a range of industrial consultancy projects for fashion and textiles organisations including Worn Again Technologies Ltd, Filippa K, VF Corporation and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Core skills and competences include:

• Laser finishing for fashion and textiles
• Circular economy and circular design research
• Sustainable business consultancy in the fashion sector

For the last eight years, David has been with the Loughborough Materials Characterisation Centre, specialising in thermal analysis and atomic force microscopy. After gaining a PhD in the development AFM-probe based thermal analysis of polymers, he ran his own materials testing consultancy. Prior to that, he worked as a materials and processes engineer in the railway vehicle manufacturing industry and as a corrosion engineer for an electronics and instrumentation company supplying corrosion monitoring systems to the process industries.

Jane draws upon over 25 years experience in transdisciplinary research, with a background in textile design and extensive experience of computer graphic imaging.  Jane’s role includes working with internal and external stakeholders including industry partners, up to Government Ministerial level.

Jane devised novel approaches to the digital representation of dress and textiles. With a track record of leading collaborative industry and academic research and development initiatives, involving cross disciplinary creative industry practitioners. Jane’s experience includes board-level representation in sector-leading organisations such as the Victoria & Albert Museum and advisory roles for the EU, EPSRC, AHRC, ACE and Arts Foundation. She is Director of Research and Innovation (Stratford) and Professor of Digital Design & Innovation at University of the Arts London. Core skills and competences include:

• Strategic leadership and project direction
• Design research in digital and material cultures
• CGI for fashion and textiles
• Knowledge Exchange

Mohammad Mahbubul Hassan is a material scientist with 24 years of academic and industrial research experience in sustainable textile and polymeric materials development. He completed his PhD in Textile Chemistry in 1999 at the University of Manchester under a British Commonwealth scholarship. Previously, he worked as a senior scientist in the Bioproduct and Fibre Technology Team of the New Zealand Pastoral Agricultural Research Institute for 18 years and as a lecturer at Yamagata University for two years. His expertise is in the following areas:

• Sustainable textiles and biodegradable polymeric materials
• Eco-friendly multi-functional textiles
• Smart, healthcare and cosmetotextiles

Dr Tincuta Heinzel (TH) is Senior Lecturer in Textiles at Loughborough University. Her practice and research evolved around electronic and reactive textiles, technical textiles innovation processes, including nano-textiles, as well as social, economic and cultural aspects of textiles and textiles industry. She won her PhD in 2012 from Paris 1 University Pantheon-Sorbonne and worked on a series of research projects related to the integration of electronic textiles in smart environments at Berlin University of the Arts (Germany) and Nottingham Trent University (UK). She also hold research positions in electronic arts at KHM – Academy of Media Arts Cologne (Germany) and ZKM – Center for Media Arts, Karlsruhe (Germany). She joined the School of Design and Creative Arts at Loughborough University as Senior Lecturer in Textiles in 2017, having previously held a position as Fulbright Senior Research Fellow at Cornell University (USA) in the Nanotextiles Laboratory.

Core skills and competences include:

• Electronic and reactive textiles
• Design aspects of functional textiles
• Anthropology and design researchCritical textiles

Rosie is Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University of the Arts London. She completed her PhD at Kingston University where she also worked in Rematerialise, a collection of materials selected by sustainability criteria. In 2015 Rosie joined the Centre for Circular Design (UAL) to work on the EU H2020 Trash-to-Cash project where she was the lead for the design research task aimed at developing a new methodology for Design-Driven Material Innovation (DDMI). She has taught at undergraduate and post-graduate levels across design disciplines on the subject of design, sustainability, materials and research. Alongside BFTT Rosie works on the EU H2020 Pharma-Factory project at London College of Communication (UAL) using co-design methods to explore stakeholder value in new plant-based technologies for healthcare. Core competencies include:

•  Materials communication
• Co-design methods  
• Circular design research
• Design research visualisation

Joseph is an R&D Fellow in Green and Sustainable Chemistry at the UAL Fashion Textiles and Technology Institute, where he is responsible for working across industry and higher education research settings to elicit a step-change in sustainable materials and renewable fibres R&D. His research aims to reduce the impact of industrial waste biomass through valorisation routes in hopes of creating biorefinery systems for a more sustainable future. Working in collaboration with industry, economic and commercial feasibility is embedded across the entirety of Joseph’s research. Joseph is currently a Project Lead on an SME R&D Project with Virustatic, supported by the Business of Fashion, Textiles and Technology Creative R&D Partnership, where he supports the company in the innovation of textile coatings to replace the use of toxic metal-based chemicals for the antimicrobial treatment of fabrics and textiles.

Core skills and competencies include:

• Green and sustainable chemistry
• Biomass valorisation
• Biorefineries

Rebecca is a designer, a member of the Textiles Futures Research community and an Associate Lecturer at Central Saint Martins at UAL. Rebecca’s research interests lie in material culture, sustainable and regenerative design practices and the interplay between digital and craft processes. Rebecca has rich experience in design and manufacturing through concept, product development and production of textiles in both craft and industrial contexts. Rebecca is a founder of Colour Matter, a studio engaging in emerging trends and innovation in colour and materials with a specific focus on low impact colour and print.  Core skills and competencies include:

• Design for sustainability -research, design and production for textiles
• Curriculum development, knowledge exchange and international collaboration
• Communication of material narratives surrounding provenance and manufacture

Vimasha is a Textile Engineer with over eight years of industry experience spanning across the textile value chain. She has successfully led projects in material development, process innovation and new business identification. She has delivered projects in collaboration with business partners and leading research institutes in the UK and EU and has always connected academic research with business-driven project objectives. Whilst working at MAS Holdings and Pentland brands, UK, she has been involved in an array of innovation and sustainability projects for major brands such as Nike, Lululemon, VS, Amanté, Speedo, Ellesse, and have led and mentored cross-functional teams. She holds an honours degree in Textile Process Engineering from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, and is a Chartered Management Accountant.

Andrew is a Lecturer in Product Design within the School of Design & Creative Arts at Loughborough University.  Andrew’s research is focussed on informing future body armour development through the utilisation of digital design and manufacturing technologies, such as 3D CAD and Additive Manufacturing, with the view to enhance thermal and physical comfort alongside operational performance.  Core skills and competences include:

• Design for Additive Manufacture
• 3D Printed textiles
• Product design and development

Dr Lewis Jones is a Lecturer in Engineering Product Design at Loughborough University. Working within the Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering his research is in the study of laser interactions with materials for manufacturing processes. Previous research with textiles has included the development of new laser based surface finishing and chemical fixation processes for low resource consumption, and the application of engineering metrology techniques to fibre surfaces.

Core skills and competences include:

• Laser interactions with fibre materials
• Metrology and Surface characterisation
• Energy modelling and lifecycle assessment of manufacturing technology

Veronika is a Reader in Material Technology and Design at LCF where she is developing novel biomimetic approaches to design and innovation of Active Material Systems within the textile industry that intersect biology, material engineering and textile design. Veronika is an LCF graduate who was awarded a PhD scholarship to study engineering design at Bath University. Her practice intersects academic and manufacturing sectors both within her role as Reader and as co-director of MMT Textiles Limited and inventor of INOTEK ^TM (an award winning biomimetic textile platform that draws on ambient moisture to trigger reversible mechanical changes in the fabric structure, typically for advanced moisture and insulation management). Veronika is also a bestselling author in industrial design and consults extensively with private and public organisations in material science, textile technology, functional apparel and fashiontech. 

Arnaud obtained his BSc in Physics and his MSc in Materials Science at the University of South Brittany, France. During his degrees, he completed several research placements at Imperial College London, New York University (NYU) and Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL). He worked as a research assistant on graphene-based composite materials at QMUL for a year. Then, he started his PhD at QMUL on 3D shape programmable multifunctional nanocomposites inspired by origami/kirigami. In November 2021, he started a postdoc with the BFTT project to develop more sustainable, circular and intelligent wearables for the fashion and textile industry.

Susanne’s extensive experience and expertise in material cultural studies includes working with a wide range of industrial partners, and understanding the opportunities represented by, and innovating with, alternative materials. An anthropologist of international renown, Susanne leads a forward-thinking Department at UCL, which consciously seeks to bring anthropological insights to bear on contemporary industrial challenges.  Susanne has led large-scale RCUK, EU Commission and consultancy projects with businesses seeking to understand the cultural impacts of their practice. Core skills and competences include:

• Uptake and acceptance of new material innovations
• Culture and commerce
• Ethnographic research

Sara is a Chemist with broad experience in Polymers and Materials Science. Now, She is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Queen Mary University of London. Before, she was a Research Fellow at the University of Surrey, and she worked on Controlling the Thickness of the Polymer Films via Dip Coating Method. She holds a PhD in Bionanotechnology from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Genova, Italy, Focusing on the Fabrication of Sustainable Polymer Coatings for various Applications. Before She completed her Master in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Tehran, Iran. She graduated with her Bachelor in Chemistry. After her Master, She worked in 2 Different Companies as an R&D Researcher and Laboratory Chemist. Core skills and competencies include:

• Research and Development
• Formulating and Fabrication
• Structure-Property Characterizations

Joanna Norman is Director of the V&A Research Institute. Her background is principally curatorial, with projects including exhibitions (Baroque, V&A 2009 and Treasures from Budapest, Royal Academy of Arts 2010), media collaborations (Handmade in Britain, V&A/BBC4 2011-12), permanent gallery redevelopments (Europe 1600–1815, V&A 2015) and new museums (the Scottish Design Galleries at V&A Dundee, opened 2018).  Joanna has published widely in association with these projects, as well as on the history of performance and on period rooms and the reconstruction of historic interiors inside and outside the museum environment. As Director of VARI she oversees the V&A’s research activities, including academic partnerships and postgraduate programmes, R&D for exhibitions, research affiliations and a portfolio of externally-funded research projects relating to the V&A’s collections and practices, including its internationally renowned collection of textiles and fashion.

Helen is a Research and Development Project Lead on the BFTT project working with Ananas Anam. She completed her PhD at The Royal College of Art in 2016, which partnered with industry to develop new applications for advanced textile joining technologies. She has since worked at Centre for Circular Design (UAL) as a Research Assistant on Mistra Future Fashion and a Research Fellow with London Doctoral Design Centre (LDoc). Helen’s approach to design research links with industry to explore new material futures through a sustainability lens and bridges between engineering and design disciplines. She has experience working as a consultant for sportswear and automotive clients, including Pentland Brands. Alongside BFTT Helen works as a Lecturer on the BA Textile Design course at Chelsea College of Arts with a focus on Professional Development. Core skills and competencies include:

• Applied materials R&D
• Textile joining and surfacing technologies
• Circular design research

Rachel has a diverse career spanning over 27 years as a denim consultant. She has worked as a Design Director  (womenswear) at Levi Strauss & Company, a Design Manager at Lee Europe and at the Lee 101 collection. Over the years she has worked with heritage brands such as Barbour, where she designed and developed women denim for the first time in its history and consulted as a Senior Designer for DKNY Jeans based in Singapore. Rachel has a real affinity for fit and silhouette and in-depth knowledge of denim washing and processes. She has a passion for youth culture in denim, and a denim archive and vintage denim store in Margate. Rachel believes that all brands, retailers and designers have an obligation to promote sustainability at every level of the denim product lifecycle.

Jo Pierce is a Senior Lecturer and Print Pathway Leader at Central Saint Martins and a member of The Textile Futures Research Community. Jo’s research in textile and material-based print and surface designs incorporates thinking through material cultures, sustainable design practice, craft and digital making and community-based contexts. Individual practice includes the language of pattern and material in relation to homes and interiors.

Jo is currently working on Colour Matter; a studio engaging in emerging trends and innovation with colour and materials and a particular interest in exploring perceptions of natural colour and low impact print approaches. Studio Houndstooth; a collaborative studio creating socially innovated projects that use methods of textile making to bring together industry and the local community.

Key Competencies:

• Textile Print Design and Material Research including emerging trends and innovation in materials
• Academic and Curriculum Development and leadership
• Thought Leader in Sustainable Design Textile Practice

Shama is a scientist, artist, creative technologist and inter-disciplinarian practitioner.  She has an interdisciplinary PhD researching the ‘Complex Neuroscientific Systems of Creative Cognition’, investigating emergent neural patterns with statistical physics, experimental psychophysics and design, cognitive neuroscience, and neurophilosophy. She is the Artistic Director/Founder of award-winning art/science creative production company Jugular Productions – ‘Joining The Head and The Heart’ – with a vision to showcase and develop rich interactions between cutting-edge science and newly commissioned creative live experiences such as cross-disciplinary salons, immersive performances, interactive installations, and educational workshops. She is the CEO/Founder of NeuroCreate, Top 100 UK ‘Ones to Watch’ Creative-Tech companies. They are developing the FlowCreate™ Innovator, an AI-powered creative collaborator. The Innovator sparks human creativity by inspiring, expanding and analysing ideas for creative professionals.

Innovation has always played a central role in Stephanie’s work. As an award-winning graduate of CSM and the RCA (2015) Stephanie has consistently brought originality and developed innovative approaches to her research and commercial career. An involvement within the textile sector that spans diverse industries as Fashion, Couture, Interiors, Automotive and R&D. This has led to collaborations with clients in New York, Canada, Europe, Scandinavia Japan and the UK. Alongside this professional career that focus’ on Design Driven material innovation Stephanie also works as a visiting lecturer at Central Saint Martins (CSM). Her current role as Project Lead for Doppelhaus brings together her commercial design expertise, with innovative non-woven manufacturing technology.

A graduate of London College of Communication, Rosa has over eight years of experience working in textile print and processing, manufacturing, logistics and creative project management. Rosa is well versed in the intricacies of supply chain. Her passion for craft and process have led her to focus her work on sustainability and she engages in crucial discussions on the political nature of textile manufacturing. Her current research role as Project Lead for Anna Glover | EcoSilTex affords an opportunity to make vital progress in shifting the textile industry towards a more sustainable future. Rosa is skilled in print consultancy, forecasting, branding, identity, logistics, inventory analysis and operations.

Core skills and competencies include:

• Textile print & processing
• Research & Innovation for start-ups
• Creative project management

Giovanni received his BSc and MSc in Materials Science from the University of Padova, Italy. He worked as a composite materials R&D specialist in the industry for two years before obtaining his PhD from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) on graphene‐based polymer nanocomposites. In 2018, he became the Polymer Research Manager for Nanoforce Technology Ltd., a QMUL subsidiary focused on technology transfer to the industry. In November 2021, he started a part-time postdoc with the BFTT project to develop more sustainable, circular and intelligent wearables for the fashion and textile industry.

Eleanor is a PhD researcher at Loughborough University exploring the digital and sustainable future of knitwear for SME’s. Eleanor studied a BA Hons in Textiles Design at Birmingham City University and focused her work on constructed textiles, specifically knitwear, and the social and environmental impact of knitting. Eleanor created a zero waste knitwear label called Nor Clothing, which saw success in the UK high street clothing market and her extensive industry experience has initiated her ambition to reinvent how knitwear is produced using new technology and digital fabrication techniques.

Laura is an R&D Fellow in Textile Science and Technology at the UAL Fashion Textiles and Technology Institute, where she works at the interface of industry, higher education research and knowledge exchange to shape an R&D agenda in technical textiles. This includes commercial research and consultancy, building on her background in textile R&D and manufacturing facilities, working on product development and leading textile science R&D projects. Laura has worked as Project Lead on an SME R&D Project with Ananas Anam, supported by the Business of Fashion, Textiles and Technology Creative R&D Partnership, where she supported the business in exploring new functionality and applications of a bio-based non-woven and sustainable material. She went on to support Ananas Anam in further R&D funded by Innovate UK investigating sustainable alternatives for Covid-19 PPE.

Sonnet has over two decades of practice in museum curation; she is a Senior Curator at the V&A Museum and is an experienced, innovative arts leader. She curated exhibitions in fashion and worked on education and gallery development projects with a broad appeal and scholarly impact. She is committed to diversity and inclusion in the cultural sector and to mentoring early career museum professionals. Her visitor-focussed approach to exhibitions, programming, and education initiatives has contributed to the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) transformation into an international art and design destination.

Marie is currently a PhD student at LCF exploring alternative routes to a sustainable future of fashion through the potential of regenerated protein fibres. Her previous MA research, undertaken at Sheffield Hallam University, focussed on the development of Bacterial Cellulose and biomaterials as a tool for circular design. Prior to this, Marie graduated from the University of Leeds with a BA in Textile Design. She has also worked with brands such as Alexander McQueen and Burberry and ran her own accessories label for 4 years.

Emma is a PhD researcher in the anthropology department at UCL, investigating independent diasporic fashion designers, looking specifically at their use of digital tools and the significance of their work in negotiating identity and building networks. Emma’s background is in Economics and Development, with a BA in Economics from UCSD, and an MSc in Anthropology and Development Management from the London School of Economics, as well as previous experience with NGOs and international organisations. Her research stems from an interest in the intersection of digital entrepreneurship, notions of identity and belonging, and the creative freedom of the fashion industry.

A highly skilled weaver, Alice’s career spans textile design, manufacture, R&D and consultancy working with yarn, trend, fashion and interior industries and education. Since completing her masters at the Royal College of Art (RCA), Alice has founded an award-winning textile practise collaborating with international clients and European mills. Her passion for craft inspires her to develop commercial woven and non-woven fabrics through a process of handiwork that doesn’t get lost in the stages of industrial manufacture. Extensive experience working with the textile supply chain has led Alice onto sustainable research projects, eliminating pre-consumer textile waste and developing it into fabrics suitable for market.

Liz Tregenza is a fashion and business historian with a particular interest in twentieth and twenty first century everyday fashion. She has previously worked as a museum curator, most recently for Colchester and Ipswich Museums Service and has taught historical and critical studies to fashion and textiles students at a number of British universities. Liz also runs her own vintage clothing business, Advantage In Vintage and is interested in vintage fashion consumption more widely. She completed her Design Star funded PhD on Frederick Starke and London Wholesale Couture at the University of Brighton in 2018 and is turning her thesis into a book (under contract with Bloomsbury).  She is also co-editing a book entitled ‘Everyday Fashion in the United Kingdom Since 1550’. Core skills and competencies include:

• Fashion history research
• Sustainable approaches to fashion consumption
• Digital entrepreneurship

Alessandra is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management at the University of Bologna in Italy where she has held a Marie Curie Fellowship from 2012 to 2018 and works as a Senior Research Fellow at London College of Fashion at the University of London Arts in the UK. Among other areas, her research operates at the intersection of international business and fashion, with a focus on the internationalization of fashion businesses, brand acquisition and the influence of disruptive technologies on fashion and textile companies. Core skills and competences include:

• Fashion business and management
• Mixed-methods business research
• International partnership building

Doroteya is a sustainability innovation theorist and Director of the Regenerative Business Models Programme at the Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge. Doroteya investigates how business is taking on the most pressing global challenges to turn them into market driving opportunities. She has developed an evidence-based method to help startups and large established companies create new business models. Prior to academia, her career spanned over a decade across the fields of international affairs and trade. Doroteya holds a PhD from Cranfield University. Core competencies

• Sustainable business models
• Value innovation
• Purpose-driven entrepreneurship

Dr. Melissa Monika Wagner (MMW) is Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Loughborough University. She holds a PhD from University of Lille (ENSAIT-GEMTEX) and worked in the research group Human Centered Design (HCD) under the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctoral Program SMDTex (Sustainable Management and Design for Textiles). Before, she completed her Master of Arts in Textile Innovation and Branding at University of Leeds in 2014 and her Bachelor of Engineering in Textile Engineering and Management from Saxion University of Applied Sciences in 2013. Core skills and competences include:

• Sustainable design of fashion and textiles
• Consumer behaviour

Kate has extensive experience working with fashion retailers, brands and factories; establishing ethical trade and sustainability programmes as well as designing and implementing broader sustainability strategies to include all facets of business operations. She has also developed a viable circular business model, implemented Modern Slavery Act policy and established factory improvement programmes. In 2011 Kate completed her masters in Fashion Futures at LCF, her final project investigated the viability of Fair Trade within the fashion system. Her early experiences in the industry activated her determination to help bring about the systemic change needed to create a just and sustainable fashion industry.

Founder and director of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion at the University of the Arts London, the internationally renowned research, policy and education centre focusing on sustainability issues as these intersect with the fashion industry. A regular contributor to national and international press, central to my philosophy is the applicability of research findings to industry stakeholders in practice settings. Testament to this approach are my positions on the Observer Ethical Awards judging panel and as Co-secretariat to the House of Lords All Party Parliamentary Group on Fashion, Sustainability and Ethics. Core skills and competences include:

• Fashion Design for Sustainability methods and practices for designers
• Fashion Design for Sustainability teaching and learning frameworks
• Sustainability thought leadership

Haixue is a senior lecturer in functional materials at Queen Mary University of London. His research areas include thermoelectrics, ferroelectrics, dielectrics and metals, including funding as Principal Investigator from the EC, EPSRC, TSB, The Royal Academy of Engineering and The Royal Society. In addition, he works closely with different industrial partners. His work on nanotechnology demonstrated that nano particles can work as building blocks during sintering.  His current work on grain size effects in ferroelectric ceramics has shown that there are different critical sizes for optimized dielectric permittivity, field induced strain and ferroelectric polarization. He has 151 peer reviewed SCI journal papers and 4 patents, and is an Editorial Board Member of Advances in Applied Ceramics, Journal of Advanced Ceramics and Materials Research Bulletin.

Core skills and competencies include:

• Energy storage
• Materials processing and characterisations
• Nanotechnology

Man Zhang is currently a PhD candidate at Queen Mary University of London. Her PhD project is to research advanced materials for sensors and energy applications. She has been involved in several joint projects on energy and developed an economical method to prepare photocatalysts with excellent photodegradation property to solve environmental problems. She also has seven years’ experience on metals including to research metal material, used as reaction vessel for nuclear energy. She has published 2 papers and 3 patents. Core skills and competences include:

• Material processing and characterization
• Metals
• Energy materials.