🌱 Ep 12. Strategies and Ecosystems for Fashion / Textile Startup Success with Brooke Roberts-Islam, Helene Steiner, Jim Ajioka (x Fashion District)
06/24/24 • 66 min
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
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
Previous Episode
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 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
Insta: @digitalweavingnorway
Connect with Mili Tharakan
Insta: @noordinarycloth
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjtharakan/
Cover art: Photo by Siora, Photography on Unsplash
Music: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman
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
Next Episode
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 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
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
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