Highlighting innovation across Future Fashion Factory’s industry network, our Showcase brought together businesses, policymakers, academics and researchers from across the fashion, textile and digital industries to discuss developments in sustainable materials and processes, digitalisation, product design and circular economies.
Speakers on the day included Tom Riordan CBE, Chief Executive of Leeds City Council, the British Fashion Council, the UK Fashion and Textiles Association, and Innovate UK – UKRI, as well as innovators from some of the fashion and textile companies from across our network.
Topics on the day included the importance of creative clusters in driving UK-wide sustainable innovation, the development of next generation materials and processes, transition to circularity in the fashion industry, and how to address major skills gaps.
Highlights Reel
Videos and photography by MOTUS TV.
Images from the Day
Left to Right:
Future Fashion Factory Co-Director, Suzy Shepherd, speaking with Sarah Angold, Designer + Sustainable Innovation Consultant and Yasmin Jones-Henry, FT Writer & Senior Strategist, RÆBURN.
Yasmin Jones-Henry, FT Writer & Senior Strategist, RÆBURN sitting as part of the ‘Navigating the Leeds – London Corridor’ panel.
Professor Steve Rusell, chairing the ‘Manufacturing Now: Mills, Spinners and Weavers’ panel session.
Our keynote speaker, Tom Riordan CBE, Chief Exec of Leeds City Council
Tom Riordan opened the morning session, speaking of the significance of Future Fashion Factory, and the Leeds region within global fashion and textile manufacturing.
“FFF’s collaborative R&D programme, has supported business growth and competitiveness across the Leeds City Region’s internationally renowned fashion and textile industry, and is playing a major role in meeting our sustainable development goals, through highly creative, industry-led innovation. We look forward to building further on what has been a unique opportunity for Leeds.“
Highlights from the Exhibition area
Left to Right:
Weffan‘s Graysha Audren speaking to Gary Eastwood, Managing Director of Pennine Weavers: Weffan reduces waste from cut-and-sew manufacturing techniques by weaving garments into the fabric using zero-waste pattern design principles applied to 3D weaving techniques.
LaundRe: LaundRe is the UK’s sustainable denim hub, experts in providing circular and sustainable denim solutions for the UK.
SeFF Fibre: Made possible by the multi-talented, planet-loving, business-boosting material that is hemp, SeFF Fibre is producing new innovative products spanning many industries – from fashion, to home textiles and even 100% biodegradable nonwovens.
Greetings from Peter Ackroyd
Please see the full list of speakers and exhibitors in the programme below: