Arts
Much is said about ‘sustainable materials’ in apparel and product design, but what makes a material sustainable? How can brands adopt sustainable materials without compromising on aesthetics and function? Why is adopting sustainable materials crucial to both the future of the design industries and commercial success of brands?Panellists:Oya Barlas Bingul, Business Development Manager, UK & Benelux, Lenzing GroupLenzing Group is a man-made cellulosic fibre producer. Oya will be talking about the latest innovative fibre TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ – next generation fibres and the opportunity to contribute on circular economyQiulae Wong, Head of Production and Marketing, Common ObjectiveCommon Objective are inspired by the potential for great business to drive value for all. Sustainability to CO means generating value in three dimensions (3D) - the “triple bottom line” - in which people, planet and profits are considered equally fundamental to business success. Quilae has extensive experience working with designers to support them around best practice in sustainable design and will be sharing those insights.Ronan Hayes, CoFounder, Marketing and Sales, ReflowReflow creates sustainable materials for 3D printing with a strong social purpose. They transform local waste streams into premium 3D materials that match the needs of creators everywhere. Ronan will explore how sustainable 3D printing is transforming the way we design and manufacture products with a focus on how we can accelerate the transformative power of this technology for the benefit of our planet.Chair: Brooke Roberts-Islam, Founder, Techstyler; Co-Director, BRIABrooke is a digital knitwear designer who has over a decade of experience as a diagnostic radiographer in the NHS. She is Co-director of the Brooke Roberts Innovation Agency (BRIA) who create sustainable and technical material collaborations, products and installations with brands from both the fashion and technology sectors, directly combining her knowledge of the latest developments in the fashion-technology sector with her cross-discipline approach to developing new materials.In addition to her design and materials development work, Brooke is a fashion-technology writer for the Huffington Post and her own blog, Techstyler, lending opinion and sharing interviews from the crossroads of fashion-technology.