Summary

This panel will explore the significance of accessory, apparel, and footwear crafts in shaping the future of sustainable fashion and textile education. The discussion will bring together educators, craft practitioners, and researchers who have actively worked to revitalise local, heritage and indigenous techniques, adapting them for innovation in contemporary design and industry.

We will showcase case studies of past projects, such as Future Craft, led by Steph Rolph; Decolonising Fashion and Textiles, led by Dr Francesco Mazzarella and Integrating Local Indigenous Knowledge and Heritage Skills into Contemporary Fashion Artifacts, led by Dr Lara Torres. These examples will demonstrate how reinterpreting craft techniques—through design, services, and sustainability-focused strategies—can reposition traditional crafts as relevant, desirable, and viable for modern applications.

The event will highlight the social, cultural, ecological, and educational value of craft practices, illustrating their potential to drive sustainability through technological and social innovation. Following the discussion, attendees will have the opportunity to engage with artefacts, digital displays, and case studies in an interactive exhibition.

Host

Claudine Rousseau, Dean School of Design and Technology

Panellists

Daniel Poulson (Course Leader BA Hons Bespoke Tailoring, LCF),  Dr Mingjing Lin, (Senior Lecturer Textiles Science and STEM Practice, LCF),Georgina Goodman, (Course Leader BA Hons Cordwainers Footwear), Congye Zhang (PhD candidate, Brunel University), Dr Francesco Mazzarella, (Reader in Design for Social Change, LCF), Dr Lara Torres, (Senior Lecturer Fashion Artefact, LCF), Polly Kenny (Programme Director Materials, LCF), Sophia Fenlon, (Senior Lecturer in Woven Textiles, MMU), Steph Rolph,(Pathway Leader in Woven Textile Design, CSM)

Chair

Veronika Kapsali, Professor of Material Technology and Design