Special episode: No Ordinary Cloth x Fashion District

Guests:

• Amy Tsang, Head of Europe at The Mills Fabrica
• Georgia Parker, Innovation Team at Fashion for Good
• Helen Lax, Director of Fashion District London

This is the 5th in a series of episodes in collaboration with Fashion District - a dynamic hub for fashion innovation in East London, connecting fashion technology, business, and education to support startups with innovation networks, affordable spaces, business guidance, and investment opportunities.

This episode of No Ordinary Cloth podcast features an insightful discussion with three prominent ecosystem builders in the fashion and textile industry: Amy Tsang, Georgia Parker and Helen Lax. They delve into the crucial role of ecosystem partners in driving innovation and sustainability within the industry.

The conversation covers various aspects of supporting startups, including common challenges faced by innovators, such as funding, scaling production, and navigating the complexities of the fashion industry.

The guests highlight the importance of collaboration and alignment among different stakeholders to accelerate the adoption of sustainable solutions. They also stress the need for greater alignment with policymakers to drive meaningful change in the industry.

The episode explores the role of ecosystem builders in supporting startups through various stages of growth, from incubation to scaling. The guests share insights on impact measurement and the importance of founder wellbeing as well.

Looking ahead, the guests envision an even more critical role for ecosystem builders in facilitating industry-wide collaboration, addressing knowledge gaps, and helping stakeholders navigate the complex landscape of innovation and sustainability in fashion and textiles. The episode concludes with personal anecdotes about cherished textile items, highlighting the emotional connections we form with clothing and the potential for long-lasting, quality garments to be passed down through generations.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The role of ecosystem builders in driving innovation in fashion and textiles
• Common challenges faced by startups in the fashion industry
• Programs and support offered by The Mills Fabrica, Fashion for Good, and Fashion District London
• Building successful fashion innovation ecosystems
• Emerging technologies and trends transforming the fashion industry
• The importance of collaboration between ecosystem partners
• Funding and investment opportunities for fashion startups
• Measuring impact and success in fashion innovation

Fashion District London  l  Fashion District Festival 2025

Fashion for Good

The Mills Fabrica

World of waste 

Mili Tharakan: Linkedin   l   Insta   l   Buy me a coffee

Contact me: No Ordinary Cloth

Recommended listening:

Ep 18. Investor Insights for Fashion and Textile Startups

Ep 12. Strategies and Ecosystems for Fashion / Textile Startup Success

Cover art: Photo by Siora, Photography on Unsplash

Music: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman

In this special episode of No Ordinary Cloth, we're joined by Victoria, the Material Innovation Lead at the World Textile Information Network (WTIN). Victoria shares her insights on the rapidly evolving field of smart textiles, highlighting key innovations and challenges in this industry. We discuss how smart textiles are bridging the gap between textiles, electronics, and computing, and explore emerging trends such as self-powered textiles and bio-based solutions. Victoria also discusses the importance of sustainability and circularity in the smart textile industry.

About WTIN:
WTIN is a leading provider of specialist insights and data-driven intelligence for businesses across the textiles and power value chain. Their primary focus is on high-growth markets such as material innovation, industry digitalisation, and technical textiles. WTIN operates on a subscription basis, offering a wide range of digital content, including in-depth reports, company profiles, podcasts, and conferences.

Key Points:

• Smart Textiles Database: Victoria discusses her comprehensive smart textile database, which connects companies across the supply chain, from conductive yarns to integrators who help develop commercially viable products.
• Emerging Trends: We explore emerging trends in smart textiles, including self-powered textiles and bio-based solutions.
• Collaboration: This episode is a special collaboration with WTIN's Textile Innovation Podcast, welcoming their listeners to our community.

World Textile Information Network (WTiN):   Website   l   Linkedin

Textile Innovation:   Podcast

You can connect with me here:   Linkedin   l   Insta   l   Buy me a coffee

Email me: No Ordinary Cloth

Cover art: Photo by Siora, Photography on Unsplash

Music: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman

Special episode: No Ordinary Cloth x Fashion District

In this episode, host Mili Tharakan partners with Fashion District London to bring an insightful discussion on securing investment in the textile and fashion industries. Featuring three seasoned venture capitalists—Gabrielle Swycher (Redrice Ventures), Joseph Aziz (True Global), and Nic Gorini (Spin Ventures)—the conversation explores what investors look for in startups, actionable advice for founders, and the trends shaping the future of sustainable fashion. Whether you're a founder seeking funding or an industry professional curious about investment dynamics, this episode is packed with valuable insights.

Fashion District is a hub for fashion innovation in east London. They connect fashion, technology, business and education to provide an ecosystem of support for fashion and textile startups that includes innovation networks, affordable space, business support and investment.

Topics covered on this episode:

1. Investor Expectations:The importance of founder resilience, passion, and purpose in early-stage startups.
   How startups can demonstrate traction, scalability, and market potential to secure funding.
   
2. Actionable Advice for Founders:Tips for crafting a compelling pitch deck and avoiding common mistakes.
   How to identify the right investors by researching portfolios, mandates, and value alignment.
   The significance of building strong networks and understanding your target audience.
   
3. Sustainability and Circularity:Key factors investors assess when evaluating sustainable innovations in textiles and fashion.
   The role of regulation, measurable impact, and integration into existing systems in driving investment decisions.
   
4. Emerging Investment Trends:The rise of circular fashion, re-commerce platforms, traceability technologies, and regulatory-driven opportunities.
   Insights into the challenges and opportunities in biomaterials and new business models.
   

Meet the Expert Guests:

• Gabrielle Swycher (Redrice Ventures): Principal at Redrice Ventures, specializing in early-stage investments in purpose-driven consumer brands and tech across the UK.
• Joseph Aziz (True Global): Investor at True Global, focusing on early-stage consumer and retail startups with a robust network of corporate partners to support scaling efforts.
• Nic Gorini (Spin Ventures): Founder of Spin Ventures, a niche boutique fund dedicated to accelerating the transition to a circular economy through innovative technologies.

Resources:

• Venture Deals by Brad Feld & Jason Mendelson – A guide to understanding venture capital for first-time founders.
• Waste to Wealth by Peter Lacy – Exploring business models behind circular practices.
• Estia Ryan's LinkedIn post on newsletters in consumer sustainability spaces.

You can connect with me here: Linkedin  I  Insta  I  Buy me a coffee

Email me: No Ordinary Cloth

Cover art: Photo by Siora, Photography on Unsplash

Music: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman

Join us on this episode of No Ordinary Cloth as we welcome Madison Maxey, the visionary founder and CEO of Loomia, a pioneering company in e-textiles. Host Mili Tharakan sits down with Maddy to explore her incredible journey from fashion design at Parsons to creating cutting-edge, soft and flexible electronics that are now making way into the automotive and robotics industries.

In this episode, Maddy shares her story of resilience, innovation, and the highs and lows of building a business in a challenging industry. Loomia’s breakthrough LEL (Loomia Electronic Layer) technology is helping redefine how we think about integrating electronics with textiles for better electro-mechanical properties but the road hasn’t been easy. With limited funding and market interest in e-textiles, Maddy has successfully built a revenue-generating e-textile startup.

For many listeners working in emerging textile technologies, this conversation will resonate deeply. As you work to find that elusive product-market fit, early adopters, and the right market, Maddy’s insights offer a beacon of hope and practical strategies for navigating this complex journey.

We dive into the real challenges of turning prototypes into products, and Maddy highlights the role of perseverance and customer obsession in creating a successful business. She also shares career advice for aspiring e-textilers and her vision for the future of this rapidly evolving field. Discover the fascinating intersections of textile, electronics and engineering — and gain invaluable insights on what it takes to make an impact in e-textiles.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation packed with insights, strategies, mindsets for textile entrepreneurs.

Loomia:   Website   I   Samples   I   Linkedin

Mili Tharakan:   Linkedin   I   Instagram   I   Buy me a coffee

Contact me: No Ordinary Cloth

Recommended listening:

Ep 9. Disobebient Fabrics: A Journey in Smart Textiles with Linda Worbin

Ep 3. Knitting Mathematics and Musical Textiles with Sophie Skach

Ep 1. Light and Lace with Sara Robertson

Cover art: Photo by Siora, Photography on Unsplash

Music: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman

In this episode of No Ordinary Cloth, I sit down with Nina and Amanda, the brilliant minds behind the Future Fabrics Expo, to dive deep into how they’re revolutionising the textile and fashion industries through an expo that drives sustainability and innovation. The Future Fabrics Expo has become a key platform in the industry, showcasing thousands of sustainable materials and driving discussions around environmental responsibility, circularity, and collaboration across disciplines to drive the change we want to see in the Fashion and Textile industry.

We explore the growing need for materials that have a positive impact on both the planet and the people working in the supply chain, and discuss how interdisciplinary collaboration is essential to scaling these innovations. Additionally, we take a hard look at the issue of overproduction and how brands need to rethink their business models to prioritise circularity and reduce waste.

Whether you’re a designer, innovator, or sustainability advocate, this episode is packed with insights about the future of sustainable fabrics and why the Future Fabrics Expo is a must-attend event for anyone in the fashion, textile, home and interiors industry.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Future Fabrics Expo is not just about showcasing eco-friendly materials—it’s about finding materials that have a net-positive impact on the environment and communities.
2. Cross-industry collaboration is vital for the future of fashion. Partnerships between designers, scientists, and manufacturers are driving textile innovations forward.
3. The fashion industry must address overproduction and overconsumption by adopting circular business models and focusing on sustainable growth.

Highlights:

• The origins of the Future Fabrics Expo and how it grew into one of the most anticipated events in the sustainable fashion calendar.
• Why materials with regenerative qualities are crucial for the future of the textile industry.
• The role of collaboration between fashion designers, material scientists, and sustainability experts in creating scalable solutions.
• The challenges and opportunities that come with shifting toward more sustainable practices in fashion, including circularity and on-demand manufacturing.
• A preview of what to expect at the Future Fabrics Expo in New York, happening on November 19th and 20th, 2024.
• Hear from attendees and exhibitors about their experience at the Future Fabrics Expo London 2024

Join me on my journey to craft the future of this podcast. I would love to hear your feedback and ideas for the podcast. Get in touch with me here: Contact me 

The Sustainable Angle:  Website   I   Linkedin   I   Instagram

Future Fabrics Expo NYC Edition, November 19 - 20th, 2024. Register here

Seminar Series 2024: Listen here

No Ordinary Cloth:   Website   I   Linkedin   I   Instagram   I   Buy me a coffee

Cover art: Photo by Siora, Photography on Unsplash

Music: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman

Special episode: No Ordinary Cloth x Fashion District

In this episode of the 'No Ordinary Cloth Podcast', we have Brett Cotten, co-founder of Arda Biomaterials, in discussion about their innovative leather alternative, New Grain made from the spent grain waste from breweries. Brett shares the establishment journey of Arda, from its founding in 2022, its recognition among Forbes 30 Under 30 and H&M's Global Change Award, to entering the competitive market with a sustainable solution.

He elaborates on his motivations for starting Arda, his educational background, and the concept of turning pain points into purposes, as described in his book 'Gene Trepeneur'.

The conversation extends to the complex challenges faced in the traditional leather industry, the innovative process behind New Grain, collaborative efforts with breweries, and insights from various accelerator programs.

Key highlights include:

1. Turning a pain point into purpose and highlights from his book Gene-trepreneur
2. The animal and plastic leather industry’s impact on the environment
3. New grain technology and process to turn spent grain into bio-leather
4. Challenges of material durability, scaling production of biomaterials, and the promising future of biomaterials in replacing conventional leather and beyond
5. Investor relations and challenges
6. Arda’s future material roadmap

Grab a cold beer, or your favourite drink, and get comfortable to learn all about taking waste from the craft beer industry and making it into gorgeous leather.

This is the third in a series of 6 episodes in collaboration with Fashion District, who are creating a hub for fashion innovation in east London. They connect fashion, technology, business and education to provide an ecosystem of support for fashion and textile startups that includes innovation networks, affordable space, business support and investment.

Accelerator resources: Entrepreneur First    I   Tech Nation   I   Carbon13   I   Creative Destruction Lab

Connect with Arda Biomaterials: Website   I   Linkedin   I   Instagram 

Book: Gene-treprenuer: Cultivating an Entrepreneurial Mindset in STEM to Impact Sutainaibility 

Connect with Fashion District: Website   I   Instagram

Connect with Mili Tharakan: Website   I   Linkedin   I   Instagram   I   Buy me a coffee

Email: [email protected]

Podcast survey

Cover art: Photo by Siora, Photography on Unsplash

Music: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman

Special episode: No Ordinary Cloth x Fashion District

In this episode of the No Ordinary Cloth podcast, we chat with David Prior Hope (CTO) and Idan Gal-Shohet (CEO), founders of Fibe, a pioneering company converting potato harvest waste into sustainable cotton-like textile fibres. 

Fibe was born out of  a final year Masters project at Imperial College, London, aiming to turn agricultural waste into usable materials. Their innovative approach focuses on creating fibres from potato stems, which mimic cotton's feel and function while being more sustainable and cost-effective. 

Here, they share about collaborating with agricultural institutes and industry giants like Grimme and McCain, to build a promising startup in just two years that has secured funding from the likes of Patagonia’s Tin Shed Ventures, emphasising their impactful vision to develop a solution that can truly impact the textile industry. They enthusiastically share about their feedstock agnostic technology and the power of storytelling in building a startup.

It wasn't an easy journey, they reflect on their early days working out of a shipping container and how thrilled they were to get just GBP3000 to get their university project off the ground.

The conversation is inspiring and reflects their ambitions for the company to scale up by 2027, and integrate their fibres into existing textile manufacturing processes seamlessly. David and Idan encourage brands and stakeholders to support early-stage innovations, highlighting the transformative potential of such collaborations. 

Listen to them share about how they overcame challenges faced in finding funding to continue their R&D and scale their technology, their partnerships with potato farmers and fashion brands, the secret powers of being a student and how they manage a work-life balance while building an early stage startup.

Fibe is the winner of the Fashion District Manufacturing Futures Award for Innovation in 2024.

Get ready to gain a whole new level of respect for potatoes after this episode!

This is the second in a series of 6 episodes in collaboration with Fashion District, who are creating a hub for fashion innovation in east London. They connect fashion, technology, business and education to provide an ecosystem of support for fashion and textile startups that includes innovation networks, affordable space, business support and investment.

Connect with Fibe: website   I   Instagram   I   Linkedin

Connect with Fashion District: website   I   Instagram

Connect with Mili Tharakan:   website   I Instagram   I   Linkedin   I   Buy me a coffee

[email protected]

Podcast survey link

Cover art: Photo by Siora, Photography on Unsplash

Music: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman

In this episode of the No Ordinary Cloth podcast, Beth Esponnette, the co-founder of Unspun, shares her groundbreaking innovation in 3D weaving technology that creates garments in a single, seamless piece, revolutionising fashion manufacturing and disrupting the current supply chain. Beth discusses her journey from an assistant professor to a pioneer and founder of Unspun, her challenges in scaling micro factories, and the leadership lessons she learned while captaining Cornell’s Nordic Ski team.

She emphasises the importance of transitioning from linear to circular life cycles to address sustainability, reduce overproduction, and the environmental impact of materials like polyester. Beth draws inspiration from influential thinkers and delves deep into the technical aspects, showcasing a visionary approach to rethinking the supply chain in the textile industry. Listen in to discover how creativity and cutting-edge technology can reshape fashion manufacturing for a more sustainable future.

Beth is fascinated by science and art, especially where they intersect: design. She earned her MFA in Design from Stanford University before serving as Assistant Professor of Product Design at the University of Oregon.

Beth has been recognised for her work by Vogue Business 100 Innovators, MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35, and Adweek Sustainability Stars. Unspun has been recognized by TIME with a Best Invention award twice.

Connect with Unspun

Unspun website   I   Shop for custom fit jeans   I   Instagram

Resources

Edward O Wilson   I   Books

Neri Oxman

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari

Connect with Mili Tharakan

[email protected]   I   LinkedIn   I   Instagram   I   Podcast survey link

Your support means the world to me! If you enjoyed this episode, consider buying me a coffee

Cover art: Photo by Siora, Photography on Unsplash

Music: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman

Special episode: No Ordinary Cloth x Fashion District

This is the first in a series of 6 episodes in collaboration with Fashion District, who are creating a hub for fashion innovation in east London. They connect fashion, technology, business and education to provide an ecosystem of support for fashion and textile startups that includes innovation networks, affordable space, business support and investment.

In this episode, Jim Ajioka (Colorifix), Helene Steiner (OpenCell), and Brooke Roberts-Islam (Techstyler) share their unique journeys and insights about navigating the intersections of science, fashion, and innovation. They discuss the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, the challenges of transitioning from different fields, the necessity of understanding your industry's demand, and the crucial role of marketing and customer discovery. The conversation also covers the significance of personal well-being for founders, highlighting self-care as a critical, yet often overlooked aspect of sustaining a startup. The episode wraps up with valuable insights into the resources and strategies that help startups thrive.

Brooke Roberts-Islam is the founder of Techstyler, a consultancy that focuses on providing intelligence to guide sustainability decision-making in the fashion and textile industries. She is also a senior sustainability contributor at Forbes, where she provides in-depth analysis and reporting on sustainable fashion initiatives. She is an award winning knitwear designer and has extensive experience in product development with various brands, including QASIMI, LVMH, and Solace London.

Helene Steiner is a design engineer that works at the intersection of technology and science. She co-founded Open Cell, providing affordable lab space for biotech startups. She has supported over 100 startups since 2018 and has a rich background in research at Microsoft and MIT Media Lab. She has received numerous awards and her work has been exhibited globally including at the Centre Pompidou, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna.

Jim Ajioka is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cambridge and along with Orr Yarkoni co-founded Colorifix, a startup revolutionizing textile dyeing with sustainable processes. The use microbes to produce, deposit and fix pigments on fabrics, eliminating the need for harmful chemicals and reducing water usage during dyeing. Colorifix has collaborated with major fashion brands like H&M, Pangaia, and Stella McCartney. They have raised a Series B round and is moving towards scaling up their solution.

Mili Tharakan: Linkedin I Survey

Other resources: Fashion District I Fashion for Good I The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel Limited (HKRITA) I The Mills Fabrica I  Steve Blank’s resources

Your support means the world to me! If you enjoyed this episode, consider buying me a coffee

Cover art: Photo by Siora, Photography on Unsplash I Music: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman

In this episode of the No Ordinary Cloth Podcast, we speak with Vibeke Vestby, the inventor of the first-ever digital jacquard handloom.

She share about her passion for weaving as a child, her impatience with traditional looms and a trip to Italy that was pivotal in reimagining the 200 year old jacquard loom. Vibeke recounts her early inspiration, the technical evolution of the loom, and the collaborative process with the engineering company Tronrud, to bring her vision to life. Her persistence and determination results in the remarkable TC2 Digital Jacquard handloom.

Join us as Vibeke goes from teaching prisoners weaving to wanting to weave clouds and peonies and  making a loom that will enable her and others to use the jacquard loom like a sketch book to quickly translate ideas and be a catalyst for creativity.

Vibeke also discusses her personal life, including how she became a trained pilot, and the importance of teamwork and curiosity in her groundbreaking work.

Tune in to learn how the TC2 digital loom, a symbol of potential, is revolutionising and democratising hand weaving, driving forward the ever-evolving ingenuity in textile weaving.

Connect with Vibeke Vestby and her team

Digital Weaving Norway

Insta:  @digitalweavingnorway

Connect with Mili Tharakan

[email protected]

Insta: @noordinarycloth

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjtharakan/

Cover art: Photo by Siora, Photography on Unsplash

Music: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman

Podcast survey link

Timestamp:

00:00:04: Introduction to the episode

00:00:28: Introduction to the main topic - The Loom

00:00:59: Introduction of the guest - Vibeke Vestby

00:04:49: Vibeke's passion for weaving and her early career

00:10:08: Vibeke's teaching experience in Norway's only prison for females

00:11:26: Vibeke's career at the College of Art and Design

00:11:36: Development of the first Weave Planner programme

00:12:12: Vibeke's learnings and experience at Silk Art Foundation in Lisio, Florence

00:15:04: The history of the Jacquard loom and its evolution

00:19:12: How the Jacquard loom revolutionised weaving

00:22:42: Vibeke's journey to creating the digital Jacquard handloom

00:23:13: Initial Challenges and Realisation

00:24:33: Funding and the First Prototype

00:28:29: The Difficulties of Bringing the Loom to Market

00:31:15: The Loom and its Scaleability

00:33:56: Market Adaptation and Customer Response

00:44:42: The Loom as a Tool for Generating Ideas

00:46:27: Vibeke's Background

00:49:05: Discussion on Traditional Norwegian Costumes

00:52:04: Vibeke's Interest in Flying and Pilot Training

00:57:56: Outlook on the Future of Creative Weaving

00:59:00: Current Projects and Interests

01:03:01: Host's Reflections and Takeaways from the Conversation