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No Ordinary Cloth: Textile innovations in future materials, manufacturing and sustainability
No Ordinary Cloth: Textile innovations in future materials, manufacturing and sustainability
No Ordinary Cloth explores the future of textiles, from sustainable materials and manufacturing innovations to the journey of new technologies from lab to market. Host Mili Tharakan, a smart textiles innovator and researcher, interviews pioneers and global experts who are transforming the textile industry. The podcast looks beyond fashion trends and sustainability claims, focusing on the upstream work of researchers, designers, material scientists, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers. Each episode offers in-depth conversations about emerging textile technology and engineering.
Episodes
Ep 35. Weaving out Waste: How WEFFAN is Forming Garments within Fabric with Graysha Audren
What if the fashion industry didn’t have to create waste in the first place? In this episode of No Ordinary Cloth, Mili sits down with textile designer and founder of WEFFAN, Graysha Audren, to explore a radically different way of making clothes: garments that are folded, flat‑packed and “baked” straight into the weave on a jacquard loom.From an olive‑green 3D‑woven shirt on a small table at Futur
Ep 34. From Wetlands to Wardrobes: What If Fashion Could Help Heal the Planet? with Julian Ellis-Brown
In this episode, we step into very different territory. We leave the factory floor and the chemistry lab behind, pull on our wellies, and head into the wetlands. Our guest is Julian Ellis-Brown, CEO and Co-founder of Ponda — the biomaterials company turning wetland restoration into one of fashion's most exciting new fibres. We explore why wetlands are one of the most carbon-rich and biodiverse eco
Ep 33. Part 3 I Clean Run: Detoxing the Running Jacket I Care, Repair and Recycle with Charlotte Krist, Shay Sethi and Wajahat Hussain
We’re used to thinking about sustainability at the point of purchase: what fibres a garment is made from, whether it’s certified or recycled. But the truth is, what we do with a garment after we buy it – how we wash it, whether we repair it, and what happens when it’s finally worn out – is just as important as what it’s made of.In this final episode of Clean Run, host Mili Tharakan takes our now‑f
Ep 32. Part 2 I Clean Run: Detoxing the Running Jacket I Dye, Finish and Construction with Jean Francoise Benoit, Jun Kamei and Matthais Feossel
We tend to think a running jacket performs because of its fabric. In reality, much of what we experience – the colour, the way water beads on the surface, how quickly it dries – comes from an invisible layer of chemistry added after the fabric is made. Those dyes, coatings and finishes are where some of the most persistent and problematic substances in performance wear quietly sit.In this second e
Ep 31. Part 1 I Clean Run: Detoxing the Running Jacket I Fibre and Fabric with Hitesh Manglani, Jeanne Begon-Lours and Khorceska Batyrova
Have you taken a close look at the label on your running jacket? It probably mentions a list of materials such as nylon, polyester, elastane — but what it doesn't say is that these materials are born from fossil fuels, made with toxic chemistry, and designed in a way that makes them almost impossible to recycle or break down at the end of their life.In this first episode of Clean Run, host Mili Th
🌱 Ep 30. Behind the Label: How Data is Rewriting the Rules of Fashion with Jothi Kanayala and Atnyel Guedj (x Fashion District
This is a special episode in partnership with Fashion District LondonWhat if you could trace every thread of a garment – from the cotton field to the shop floor and all the way to the recycling centre – and understand its true cost? Not just the financial cost, but the environmental, social, and human cost?That's the question at the heart of this episode. The fashion supply chain is one of the mos
🌱 Ep 29. Cotton, Soil & Solar: Re‑imagining the "Quiet King" of Textiles with Catherine Bottrill and Felix Bartlett (x Fashion District)
This is a special episode in partnership with Fashion District London.In this episode of No Ordinary Cloth, we go back to where the cotton story truly begins: in the soil and in small farming communities. Mili is joined by Felix Bartlett, founder of Biothread, and Dr. Catherine Bottrill, co‑founder of ACE (Affordable Clean Environment) Cotton, to explore how regenerative farming, microbial science
Ep 28. AI Robotics for Fabrics and the Future of Stitchless Garment Making with Cam Myers
This episode goes deep into the complexity of how our clothes are cut and sewn today and what it will take to rebuild apparel manufacturing for the 21st century. Mili Tharakan is joined by Cam Myers, Founder, CEO and Board Director of CreateMe Technologies, who shares how his team is pioneering an autonomous, stitchless tailoring platform that brings together robotics, advanced adhesives
Ep 27. Sustainability Through Longevity: Emotional Durability in Fashion with Charles Ross
In this episode of No Ordinary Cloth, we sit down with Charles Ross, Performance Sportswear Design Lecturer at the Royal College of Art, to explore what durability and sustainability looks like in the fashion and sportswear industries. Charles has spent over two decades at the intersection of functional design and environmental responsibility, championing the idea of sustainability
🌱 Ep 26. Clothing Poverty, Pre-loved South Asian Wedding Fashion and Building Community for Change with Anoli Mehta and Sol Escobar (x Fashion District)
Special episode by No Ordinary Cloth x Fashion DistrictIn this episode, Mili speaks with Sol Escobar, founder of Give Your Best, and Anoli Mehta, founder of Circular Threads, two inspiring women tackling fashion’s social and environmental challenges from different angles. Sol’s award-winning social enterprise helps bridge the gap between clothing waste and clothing poverty by allowing people in ne
Ep 25. Turning Agri Waste to Cellulose Fibre, High-Tech Naturalism and the Making of a Fashion Scientist with Amanda Parkes
In this episode, host Mili Tharakan, dives deep into the extraordinary mind and career of Amanda Parkes—a true pioneer at the intersection of science, fashion, and engineering. Amanda has consistently challenged boundaries and redefined what’s possible in textiles and sustainability.Amanda Parkes is a renowned fashion scientist with more than 20 years of experience pioneering innovation, sustainab
Ep 24. Medicine-Embedded Textiles: Reimagining Fabric for Pain Relief and Healing with Bradley Seese
In this episode, host Mili speaks with Bradley Seese,(“The Yarn Geek”), VP of Operations at Clothing 2.0 and a lifelong textile innovator and technical visionary, about the future of medicine-embedded textiles. Learn how Clothing 2.0 is infusing active ingredients like capsaicin (the spicy compound in chili peppers) into yarns to create health-promoting, pain-relieving garments. The conversation s
🌱 Ep 23. Stitching together South American Folklore, Migration and Community with Jennifer Droguett Espinosa (x Fashion District)
Special episode by No Ordinary Cloth x Fashion DistrictIn this episode of No Ordinary Cloth, host Mili speaks with Jennifer Droguett Espinosa, a Colombian and Chilean Sustainable Fashion Designer and Creative Director, and the founder of Anciela. Jennifer shares how her early experiences with migration, identity, and upcycling shaped her personal and creative outlook. She discusses her journey fro
🌱 Ep 22. Beyond the Bin: Fight Against Fashion Waste with Annabel Hought and Yayra Agbofah (x Fashion District)
Join host Mili Tharakan as she sits down with Annabel Hought from Round Retail and Yayra Agbofah from The Revival to discuss innovative business models for sustainable fashion, the global crisis of textile waste, and the power of cross-border collaboration. This episode dives into the realities of the secondhand clothing market, the importance of community, and creative solutions for reducing wast
🌱 Ep 21: Circular Fashion in Action: Insights From Luxury to Highstreet Brands with Laetitia Forst, Patrick McDowell and Philippa Grogan (x Fashion District)
In this episode of No Ordinary Cloth, host Mili Tharakan is joined by three pioneering voices in sustainable fashion and textiles: Dr. Laetitia Forst (University of the Arts London), Patrick McDowell (designer and founder of Patrick McDowell), and Philippa “Philly” Grogan (Sustainability Manager at Nobody’s Child). Together, they break down the jargon around circular design, and circular business
🌱 Ep 20. Ecosystem Builders Transforming Fashion from the Inside Out with Amy Tsang, Georgia Parker and Helen Lax (x Fashion District)
Special episode: No Ordinary Cloth x Fashion DistrictGuests: Amy Tsang, Head of Europe at The Mills Fabrica Georgia Parker, Innovation Team at Fashion for Good Helen Lax, Director of Fashion District LondonThis 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
Ep 19. Now and the Future of Smart Textiles with Victoria Nickerson
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 e
Ep 18: Investor Insights for Fashion and Textile Startups with Gabbie Swycher, Joseph Aziz and Nic Gorini (x Fashion District)
Special episode: No Ordinary Cloth x Fashion DistrictIn 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—Gabbie Swycher (Redrice Ventures), Joseph Aziz (True Global), and Nic Gorini (Spin Ventures)—the conversation explores what investor
Ep 17. Scaling an E-textiles Startup and Soft Electronics for the Auto Industry with Madison Maxey
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, Mad
Ep 16. A Catalyst Shaping the Future of Sustainable and Ethical Fabric with Nina Marenzi and Amanda Johnston
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
🌱 Ep 15. Brewing Beer for Bio-Leather with Brett Cotten (x Fashion District)
Special episode: No Ordinary Cloth x Fashion DistrictIn 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&am
🌱 Ep 14. Farm to Fibre: Spinning Yarn from Potatoes (x Fashion District)
Special episode: No Ordinary Cloth x Fashion DistrictIn 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
Ep 13. 3D Weaving Yarns into Garments and Zero Inventory Circular Fashion with Beth Esponnette
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 scalin
🌱 Ep 12. Strategies and Ecosystems for Fashion / Textile Startup Success with Brooke Roberts-Islam, Helene Steiner, Jim Ajioka (x Fashion District)
Special episode: No Ordinary Cloth x Fashion DistrictThis 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 in
Ep 11. Dreaming of Weaving Clouds and Inventing the Digital Jacquard Handloom with Vibeke Vestby
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 collab
Ep 10. Disobedient Fabrics: A Journey in Smart Textiles with Linda Worbin (Part 2)
Welcome to the No Ordinary Cloth podcast, where we stitch together a tapestry of textile innovations one episode at a time. Today, we're joined by Linda Worbin, a pioneer in Smart Textiles. Join us as we explore the past, present, and future of this dynamic industry.Linda Worbin, a Material and Innovation Developer based in Sweden, brings a wealth of experience to our conversation. With her backgr
Ep 9. Disobedient Fabrics: A Journey in Smart Textiles with Linda Worbin (Part 1)
Welcome to the No Ordinary Cloth podcast, where we stitch together a tapestry of textile innovations one episode at a time. Today, we're joined by Linda Worbin, a pioneer in Smart Textiles. Join us as we explore the past, present, and future of this dynamic industry.Linda Worbin, a Material and Innovation Developer based in Sweden, brings a wealth of experience to our conversation. With her backgr
Ep8. Energy Harvesting Nanotech Fibres for Wearables and Women in Science with Sohini Kar-Narayan
🎉 In this episode as we celebrate Women’s Day in March 2024, we have a very special guest - Prof. Sohini Kar-Narayan, a leading material scientist and nanotechnology expert from the University of Cambridge, sharing with us about her passion for science and her work with nano materials for energy harvesting and self-powered sensing technology, and it’s potential for smart textiles and wearabl
Ep.7 ⭐️ Fashion District Manufacturing Futures Innovation Challenge 2024
Welcome to this special mini episode of the No Ordinary Cloth podcast, where we explore the fascinating world of textiles and fashion and the innovative minds shaping its future. Today, we're spotlighting the Manufacturing Futures 2024 - Innovation Challenge, a pivotal event for UK-based startups and SMEs in the fashion industry. There is some exciting news to share, do listen in to the end o
Ep 6. AI for Zero Waste Fabric, Sustainability and Traceability in Textile Factories with Gilberto Loureiro
On this episode of the 'No Ordinary Cloth' podcast, we welcome Gilberto Loureiro, the co-founder and CEO of Smartex, an innovative startup leveraging AI and machine learning to transform the textile industry and modernise it's factories.Gilberto draws upon his life experiences, growing up in a family where everyone worked in the textile business and witnessing the substantial wastage and outdated
Ep 5. Indigo-Dyed Fabric Migration and Thinking Through Making with Mika Satomi
In this episode of The No Ordinary Cloth Podcast, we hear from Mika Satomi - an exceptional artist and maker whose artistic approach transcends mediums. She skilfully blends traditional and modern, digital and manual techniques and materials to convey powerful narratives. She is as proficient in weaving and crocheting as she is in programming and electronics and so many other techniques. Here she
Ep 4. Unboxing Science to Make Future Fabrics with Anastasia Pistofidou
Whether you are a textile designer, biologist, engineer, architect, fashion designer, material scientist or a curious maker - we all need to come together to innovate and solve challenges the world is facing today.On this episode our guest speaker Anastasia Pistofidou has done just that - she has created an ecosystem that brings together diverse expertise to explore textiles and solve some of thes
Ep 3: Knitting Mathematics and Musical Textiles with Sophie Skach
Whether you love or hate mathematics, you are going to enjoy listening to this episode.In this interview, Sophie Skach, a fashion designer and researcher, discusses her passion for interweaving the world of textiles with mathematics and technology, and her unique approach to creating catwalk collections and PhD research projects. She shares her journey on how she uses textiles as a medium to demys
Ep 2: From Garden waste to Leather with Daniela Rondinone
Who doesn’t love a beautiful leather jacket or bag. Sadly, the leather industry’s high water and chemical waste from the tanning process is extremely polluting. And faux leather is made from polyurethane and plastics. So can we ever use leather products without feeling guilty?Join me as I find out from Daniela Rondinone, the Business and Operations Manager at Biophilica, all about alternative leat
Ep 1: Light and Lace with Sara Robertson
Sara Robertson is a smart textile maker and researcher who has been exploring different ways to translate concepts of change and movement in nature through her beautiful textile creation over the last 20 years. Join me as I speak with Sara about her journey from a young artist to a leading smart textiles researcher. Learn about how she is making lace with light - these are absolutely exquisit
Trailer
The future of Textile awaits and we are stitching it together one episode at a time....Join me in this podcast series to learn and be inspired by all the incredible textiles that is radically changing the very landscape of fabrics as we know it. Whether you are an expert in the field or just curious about textiles and fashion, this podcast will capture your imagination and give you a gl
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