Founder & CEO
While Nina was researching for her dissertation ‘Organic Cotton: Reasons Why the Fashion Industry is Dragging its Heels’ for her MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development at Imperial College, she interviewed numerous fashion designers, representatives of the textiles industry, and NGOs. As a result, the need for a curated sustainable textiles showcase became apparent and the Future Fabrics Expo was born. Nina has previously worked as a consultant on various environmental policy initiatives, and set up The Sustainable Angle in 2010 to initiate and support projects aimed at reducing the environmental impact of industry.
Chief Design Officer
Amanda Johnston is Curator and Chief Design Officer at The Sustainable Angle, having curated the sustainable textiles collection and Future Fabrics Expo since its inception. She has a background in design consultancy and education, and has co-authored two books: Fabric For Fashion, and Fabric For Fashion The Swatch Book (third edition published in 2021). She has led the creation of several online educational modules; the most recent one being an introductory climate-focused course, which is available as a free resource on the Future Learn digital platform. Amanda also continues her teaching practice at London College of Fashion UAL, and regularly runs sustainable materials workshops, delivering presentations and seminars internationally, both at industry events and in educational forums.
CFO (Fractional)
Certified public accountant with a track record that includes two successful business exits (Lovefilm / Amazon & Funding Circle), Alysha brings firsthand expertise in scaling companies and building high-performing finance functions. Since founding Fast Growth Consulting in 2019, she has worked across many different industries, and has a good understanding of solutions that work.
Head of Exhibitor Partnerships
Christina’s key passion lies in materials for fashion, underpinned by a strong belief that there are alternatives to the current raw material systems. Textile production must be radically transformed at scale to nurture people and planet. At TSA, she primarily manages Exhibitor Partnerships and TSA’s material selection. She has just completed an Executive Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainable Business (PCSB) at Cambridge University to explore how brands can reduce their impact on biodiversity and become active players in restorative systems. She holds a degree in Politics from SOAS and Fashion Design.
Senior Manager: Materials Database & Virtual Expo
Janet has a degree in Fashion, Design and Marketing from the University of East London. Whilst studying, a discussion with her tutor led her to re-evaluate what it really means to have cheap clothing and its social and environmental impacts throughout the supply chain. Following her graduation she set up her own business but found it incredibly frustrating to source commercially available, sustainable fabrics. As a small designer the lack of transparency in the industry also became a concern. Janet got involved with The Sustainable Angle after attending a talk given by Amanda, which resonated with her and her desire to learn more about sustainability.
Head of Innovations
American-born bilingual tech aficionado, who after graduating with a degree in Fashion Design from Istituto Marangoni in Milan, noticed a lack of a critical voice in fashion, one that could transcend the boundary of fashion being purely aesthetic and find the meaning behind the making. The defining moment for that voice was found throughout the MA Fashion Futures at London College of Fashion, pushing the limits of Fashion Sustainability through Futures Thinking and Critical Reflection & Analysis. Investigating the thrilling possibilities of biotech, Claire is interested in uncovering how innovative materials can challenge the fashion paradigm.
Operations & Exhibitor Partnerships
Clara studied Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear at the London College of Fashion. Sustainability was a driving force for her work, and she used her studies to explore different sustainable design approaches, including zero-waste pattern cutting, next-generation biomaterial innovation and responsible material sourcing. Working within fashion innovation whilst studying gave her hope for positive change in the future and attending Future Fabrics Expo sparked a desire to focus on material sourcing, leading to her joining The Sustainable Angle.
Advisory & Brand Partnerships
After working in the fashion industry for several years and realising the industry’s major social and environmental implications, Fiona wanted to explore new design research that uses intelligent imagination with consideration for the environment. Her masters thesis at London College of Fashion looked at how algae could be used as a material resource that replaced petroleum-based products. The research was selected as Top 3 for the first Kering Sustainability Award 2015 for Stella McCartney. Fiona has since developed professional skills that focus on sustainable design, strategy and the conceptualisation of complex information, working with over 75 brands across her career around the world.
Marketing & Communications Manager
After studying Politics, Philosophy, and History, Maria became involved in international development and textile reuse projects, where she witnessed the consequences of garment dumping and fossil-fuel based supply chains. She began focusing her research on projects that tackle the social and environmental degradation caused by the fashion industry. This experience led Maria to The Sustainable Angle and Future Fabrics Expo, where she is developing her professional skills and carrying out research in policy, traceability, and transparency in the textile industry. Maria has recently graduated from an MSc in Digital Politics and Sustainable Development at Northeastern University London.
Programme Manager, Home & Interiors
Growing up in Milan, Gaia was immersed in the world of fashion and design. While studying at Chelsea College of the Arts and Designs in London, she noticed how harmful fast fashion was to the environment. This pushed her to infuse sustainability and slow design into all her academic projects. After a transformative trip to Guatemala, where she learned traditional textile methods, Gaia returned to London determined to combat the negative impacts of fast fashion with ethical and sustainable solutions.
Events Management
While studying Biomedical Sciences at University and recently graduating, Hiba has consistently demonstrated a strong interest and admiration for The Sustainable Angle. She has actively engaged with the organization during her summer breaks and was particularly captivated by the company’s ethical approach when attending the Future Fabrics Expo. This experience ignited a desire to deepen her involvement, ultimately leading to her taking on a leadership role in organizing the Future Fabrics Expo 2023 and maintaining an ongoing collaboration with the TSA team. Her passion lies in orchestrating and overseeing events for TSA, driven by the remarkable sustainability opportunities that the organization provides.
Special Projects
Charlotte has been working for the Future Fabrics Expo for five years, and brings with her over fifteen years of sourcing and product development experience from both retail and high end brands. As well as having a passion for the future of sustainability, Charlotte is also working on a practice-based PhD based around the peatlands of Scotland, and works as a researcher in the social sciences.
Special Projects
A lifelong fashion enthusiast, Anne spent the last 10 years designing consumer software products and wondering how to combine her love for fashion with her background in tech and her degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. In 2023, intrigued by the fashion industry’s growing focus on sustainable materials and manufacturing, Anne volunteered at the NYC Future Fabrics Expo Edition, after which she joined the TSA as a core team member. She is currently pivoting her career into circular fashion and remanufacturing.
Business Development
With a decade-long commitment to advancing sustainability and experience in driving transformative change within the fashion sector, Kristen has joined The Sustainable Angle/ The Future Fabrics Expo to spearhead business development initiatives. Having worked with consulting firms, brands, and industry initiatives including Macy’s, Kering, adidas, and The Fashion Pact, she understands the imperative of cross-industry collaboration and recognizes its pivotal role in sharing solutions across diverse sectors such as apparel, footwear, interiors, transport, and consumer goods. She is supporting us in expanding our reach globally to hubs such as NYC and prominent European fashion capitals, enhancing our advisory services and strengthening our mission to empower designers with sustainable practices since 2011.
Innovation & Exhibitors Coordinator
Hana recently completed an MA in Biodesign from Central Saint Martins in London, focusing on merging biological processes with design and systems thinking. Her master’s work, which explored textile lifecycles through decomposition, has grown into an ongoing practise, exploring biological recycling in the textile industry. After completing her BA in fashion design in London, and through personal experience with running a design studio, focused on hand-crafted bags and backpacks in her native Slovakia, Hana grew concerned with the lack of transparency in the textile world, and her responsibility as a designer. With solid understanding of materials and passion for sustainability, this led her to The Sustainable Angle.
For career opportunities, or if you are a student and are looking for work experience or to volunteer, please email us at info@thesustainableangle.org