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Recognising innovation in textiles

Meet our esteemed panel of judges. Leading innovation experts in sustainability, technology and design will evaluate groundbreaking entries that are set to shape the future of textiles.
Charles Ross Lecturer, Royal College of Art
Prof Parikshit Goswami Professor of Technical Textiles, The University of Huddersfield
Mili Tharakan Smart Textile Consultant, Smart Textile Alliance
Samantha Taylor Founder, The Good Factory
Nicole van der Elst Desai Founder, VDE Consultancy
Jessica Robe Business Innovation Lead, WTiN
Cindy DiPietrantonio Former CEO and President, Boathouse Sports

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Charles Ross

Lecturer, Royal College of Art

Charles Ross is a textile specialist based at the Royal College of Art in London; he has taught Performance Sportswear Design to the next generation of Outdoor Industry designers for over two decades. His mantra is “Sustainability through Longevity.”

Prof Parikshit Goswami

Professor of Technical Textiles, The University of Huddersfield

Professor Parikshit Goswami (B.Sc. (Tech), MSc, PhD, MRSC, ASDC, CCol, CText, FTI, CMgr, MCMI, FHEA) did his MSc in Advanced Textile and Performance Clothing, and his PhD from the University of Leeds. Professor Goswami is the Associate Dean for Research, Innovation, and Knowledge Exchange for Arts and Humanities. Previously he was the Head of the Department for Fashion and Textiles and then of Music and Design Arts at the University of Huddersfield. He is also the Director of the Technical Textiles Research Centre. Before joining the University of Huddersfield, Professor Goswami was the Director of Research and Innovation at the School of Design at the University of Leeds and led the Fibre and Fabric Functionalisation Research group at Leeds. In his research, since joining the University of Huddersfield, Professor Goswami has proactively developed the research profile and activities in Technical Textiles. He is committed to multidisciplinary research and is working towards building constructive collaborations with the University of Huddersfield and industries to transform the competitiveness of the European technical textiles industries. Since joining Huddersfield, Professor Goswami has won government and commercial funding for several research projects, including a collaborative £5.4M project (AHRC Creative Economy- Industry Challenge) with the University of Leeds and the Royal College of Art. 

Mili Tharakan

Smart Textile Consultant, Smart Textile Alliance

Mili is an experienced entrepreneurial inventor who has been working with smart textiles since 2004. She founded and led the Smart Textiles Innovation Lab at Welspun (one of the largest home textiles manufacturers in Asia) and went on to develop, manage and launch smart home textile products on the global market with the company’s corporate start.

Samantha Taylor

Founder, The Good Factory

Samantha Taylor has spent more than 20 years working in manufacturing for performance sportswear. The Good Factory was established as a supply chain and product creation advisory service for suppliers and brands to implement circular products and embed tangible ESG strategies. Ensuring businesses can align with a Net Zero future with an equitable and just supply chain.

Nicole van der Elst Desai

Founder, VDE Consultancy

Nicole van der Elst Desai is the founder of VDE Consultancy, a consulting and advisory firm for companies in the textile and fashion industry.

Before starting her own company, Nicole led several projects within the Nike apparel product creation team that shaped her way of working with client partners, such as Forum for the Future, Tong Siang/Yeh Group, BluWin, DyStar, and others.

Nicole is a member of the Supervisory board of Lenzing, an advisor to the board at Delvify, an advisor to Mana Impact, a council member of the Singapore Fashion Council and the chair of its Sustainability Steering Committee, and a mentor at Fashion for Good.

She is a graduate of the Amsterdam Fashion Institute and an alumnus of INSEAD’s Leading the Business of Sustainability. She is passionate about creating better products and processes in the fashion industry that will leave behind a better planet for future generations.

Jessica Robe

Business Innovation Lead, WTiN

Jessica Robe is WTiN’s business innovation lead and sports & outdoorwear specialist. She graduated from De Montfort University with a First Class BA Honours in Contour Fashion, specialising in the design and development of intimates, as well as sports- and swimwear. Since joining WTiN in 2019, Jessica has amassed comprehensive knowledge of the textile & apparel industry, focusing on material and product innovation through the lens of market competitiveness, performance and sustainability.

Cindy DiPietrantonio

Former CEO and President, Boathouse Sports

Bio to follow.