Researching sustainable textile systems through
colour, materials, and applied textile science
Sustainable colour and textile systems
My work in this area focuses on the role of colour and textile practice in supporting more sustainable and circular approaches to fashion and textile production. Through collaborative, publicly engaged projects, I explore how colour, materials, and making can be used to reduce waste, extend material life, and encourage more responsible relationships with textiles.
This work brings together research, industry engagement, and creative practice to explore practical responses to sustainability challenges, with a particular focus on participation, reuse, and accessible approaches to change.
WOW MANCHESTER FESTIVAL
May 2024
Women of the World Festival 2024
As part of my work exploring sustainable colour and textile systems, I contributed to the first WOW – Women of the World Festival in Manchester, a major international cultural event celebrating women, girls, and non-binary people. WOW is the world’s largest festival of its kind, with events reaching over five million people across more than 45 locations worldwide, and the Manchester edition formed part of this global programme following festivals in cities including Pakistan, Istanbul, and Athens.
The inaugural WOW Manchester Festival took place at Aviva Studios and brought together internationally recognised activists, artists, researchers, and cultural leaders for three days of discussion, performance, and debate. Contributors included Julia Gillard, Maxine Peake, Sophie Willan, Zawe Ashton, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, DJ Paulette, Sunita Dangol, Gemma Cairney, and Chimene Suleyman.
I contributed to the “Why Natural Dye?” online discussion, an event that brought together artists, academic researchers, and community organisations to explore the role of natural dyeing within contemporary textile practice. Hosted in collaboration with Woven and Stitched Up, the session focused on the environmental potential of natural dyes, knowledge exchange between practice and research, and the future role of colour in more sustainable textile systems.
Radio 4 Podcast
As part of my work exploring sustainable textiles and material performance, I contributed to the BBC Radio 4 programme Sliced Bread, which investigates consumer claims around sustainability and product performance.
The episode focused on the growing use of sustainability claims within denim marketing, questioning what “sustainable jeans” really mean in practice and whether such claims reflect genuine environmental benefit or marketing-led narratives. The programme examined whether sustainability claims translate into improved durability and longer garment life.
My contribution centred on textile testing and performance evaluation, drawing on laboratory-based research to assess fabric durability through abrasion testing (the “rub test”). This work helped contextualise sustainability claims within measurable material performance, supporting evidence-based discussion around quality, longevity, and responsible consumption.
The programme reached a national audience and contributed to wider public understanding of sustainability in fashion, highlighting the importance of transparency, testing, and material knowledge in evaluating environmental claims.
