Summit: Conversations 2024
FACE: Fashion Academics Creating Equity present
FACE X RCA Conversations: Thoughts, Souls and Spaces
Thursday 7th November and Friday 8th November 2024
RCA BATTERSEA CAMPUS STUDIO BUILDING,
Hangar Space, Howie St entrance,
London SW11 4AY
Join us at RCA Battersea for a summit filled with insightful, discussions, creative exchanges and networking opportunities. Our lineup of speakers included industry leaders, innovators, and RCA Alumni. Get ready for an energetic yet intimate, soulful and joyous, hard hitting look at the future of art, design, technology and creativity.
This event will span 2 days. Special thanks to Joyce Addai Davis, Sabine Lettmann and Zowie Broach. All bios at end of programme.
Please see separate FREE Eventbrite QR codes. There is one for each day so that we can know numbers. Day 1 Eventbrite link here Day 2 Eventbrite link here
Day 1 Thursday 7th November 2024: 13.00-17.30 GMT
RCA BATTERSEA CAMPUS STUDIO BUILDING, Hangar Space, Howie St entrance, London SW11 4AY
OPEN 13.00
Day One: Recentering Thoughts. Sign in all guests. Meet and greet.
Static Exhibitions throughout event:
Sharon Lloyd/Davina Hawthorne/Max Kandhola
On the Record – Hair Stories
A Video Installation and 12 printed artworks.
Erin Lewis
Your Banner, Your Story
An installation of protest clothing by Hastings Refugee buddy project and Stitch for change, using design practice to collaborate and engage with community and show peoples voices.
L-R Sharon Lloyd Davis, Davina Hawthorne, Max Kandhola, Erin Lewis
Welcome
14.00 - 14. 20
Sharon Lloyd Davis cofounder and chair of FACE - A warm welcome to you all.
14.20- 15.15
Sharon Lloyd chairs.
In conversation: Charlie Casley-Hayford with Andrew Ibi. An honourable celebration, and conscious reflection reveals an optimistic landscape, where new stories emerge, threaded from the past and revealing visions of present and future.
We imagine future landscapes embracing creative, collaborative and communal practice - where self-reflection and purpose is only equalled by human spirit and compassion.
15:15 - 16:00
Joyce Addai Davis chairs
In conversation: Four winners of Black Excellence Scholarships from FACE: Mahalia Ellis, Nothando Ngwawaira, Meerim Mamatova, Joy Julius and and Joe Casely Hayford Scholarship winner Taya Francis.
L-R Charlie Casely Hayford, Andrew Ibi, Joyce Addai-Davis, Kevin Brazant, Bonita Charles, Cheraine Donalea Scott
Break 16:00 - 16:20
16:20 - 17:05
Kevin Brazant and Bonita Charles
Facilitating Race: The Ethics of Disruption, Empowerment and Fatigue in the Academy.
An interactive workshop session comprising of:
1. A presentation of the Disrupt the Discourse case study.
2. Performance/ reading of the 'Disruption' poem.
3. Provocation and facilitated conversation/ and Q&A with participants.
The Higher Education Sector in the United Kingdom (UK) is currently being taken to task regarding structural inequality and unfair outcomes for student learners from non-white backgrounds, commonly referred to as the degree awarding gap. Using Counter-storytelling methodology as part of a podcast initiative, the views and opinions of antiracist scholars, considering their positionality, help to understand the lived experiences of their students and peers in Higher Education. The podcast provided a safe space for an unfiltered discussion about the black experience within UK higher education. The project was also disseminated as part of a Community of Practice workshop model, enabling brave conversations for racialised staff members to share their experiences with other educators. As part of the summit, one of the authors intends to read, play or perform their response to the project's stimulus, reflecting the community's voice and conveying authenticity, agency, as well as the fatigue often experienced in the face of oppressive and structural forces within the academy.
17:05 - 17:30
Cheraine Donalea Scott
Decenter Practice
A discussion on ways of knowing that reminds us of what is at stake and the possibilities embedded in everyday Black cultural practices like fashion and art. My research explores the political possibilities embedded in Grime music’s cultural practices, positioning it as challenging negative dominant narratives and creating space for envisioning Black futurity. It introduced the methodological approach which converges the aural and the visual to identify the sonic resonance of certain cultural practices as a form of ‘countervisuality.’ This multisensorial approach serves as a means to investigate the diverse social relationships and temporal contexts that shape social meanings in the current conjuncture.
17:30 - 17.40
Closing remarks. Andrew Ibi
Join us for drinks by the Installation
Day 2 - 8th November 2024: 09.00-17.30 GMT
RCA BATTERSEA CAMPUS STUDIO BUILDING, Hangar Space, Howie St entrance, London SW11 4AY
OPEN 09.00.00
Day Two: Recentering Souls, Decentering Soaces. Sign in all guests. Coffee and catch up.
9.45 - 10.00
Joyce Addai Davis. A warm welcome. Session 2: Recentering Souls
L-R Nick Dunn, Sharon Hughes, Gabrielle Millar, Kemi Ajose, Zarifah Ahmad Zamri
10:00 -10:45
Nick Dunn
‘Do I have to be a ‘Hip Hop Artist’ before I can gain recognition & entry to the fashion/sportswear design industry?’
Break 10:45 -11:00 15 mins
11.00-11.30
Dr Sharon Hughes
Designing Inclusive Futures.
Speakers Sennait Ghebreab and Arooj Aftab, with Dr. Shaherah Jordan assisting in audience participation
Through my research on Exploring the Incorporation of Marginalised Narratives in Art and Design Education, I sought to investigate how diverse narratives and perspectives of Black and Brown cultures were incorporated into the fashion studies curriculum within art and design education in the UK.
My findings were varied, but through interviewing participants and leaders in HE fashion programs, I discovered four key themes: a need for inclusive curriculum design and development, challenges in integrating Black and Brown narratives, the diverse approaches taken or not to evaluate inclusive education and the call for Black and Brown narratives as standard practice.
Expect an engaging and thought-provoking discussion on how fashion education can evolve to represent Black and Brown narratives more authentically. Featuring esteemed panellists Sennait Ghebreab, Programme Leader Business at Istituto Marangoni London and Writer for VOGUE ITALIA, and Arooj Aftab, Cultural Inclusion Consultant, Creative, Curator, and Guest Lecturer at the University of East Londo
11:30-12:00
Gabrielle Miller, with UAL Graduates: Kemi Ajose and Zarifah Ahmad Zamri
Roots & Routes: embedding cultural awareness into a university curriculum
Roots & Routes is a ‘thinking through making’ zine workshop that explores how issues of Climate, Racial and Social Justice intersect to address structural inequalities. In the workshop we practice being self-aware, and reflecting on positionality in relation to biases and injustices within fashion, art and design education and everyday life.
In this combined presentation and panel discussion, we will share the development of the project, and how we have worked to embed this workshop into the curriculum at LCF in order to address equity in education that relates to belonging, community and attainment.
Students and graduates have been a crucial part of the development and delivery of this project: Kemi Ajose and Zarifah Ahmad Zamri will join the panel to share their perspectives. @rootsandroutes.ual
Project partners: Adam Ramejkis, UAL Intercultural Communication and Carole Morrison, Head of Social Purpose in the Curriculum LCF
12.00 - 12.30
Professor Mal James & Dr Patricia Wu Wu
Decentering NOW to Decenter the FUTURE
Our workshop ‘Decentering NOW to Decenter the FUTURE’ will aim to explore the pivotal and urgent role of fashion educators in decentralising future fashion systems and spaces. We will focus on the importance of preparing students NOW to emerge as our FUTURE inclusive industry leaders. By upholding the mission of FACE and ensuring an ongoing legacy, we will use the workshop as an activation for education to take accountability for the core social values and impact of our future designers.
L-R Mal James, Dr Patricia Wu Wu, Tanveer Ahmed, Jacob Goff, Adrianne Asende, John Boddy.
12.30-14.00 Lunch Break
12.45-14.00 Activities. There is a choice
Activity 1 - stretch your legs
12.45 - 2pm
Tanveer Ahmed
A Colonial History of Fashion seen through the Thames: a river walk with Tanveer Ahmed
As we walk through our cities and along our rivers, it is not apparent that their story is inextricably entwined in the exploitation of people through Britian's role in colonisation – both from the money derived from the transatlantic slave trade invested in London's construction, and through the cargoes produced by enslaved people and colonised people that the river Thames carried including sugar, cotton, and tobacco. The Thames plays a crucial role in British fashion histories, carrying the sailors on the docks and merchants with goods for trade, to building the monuments, museums and economy that has shaped London as a fashion capital.
Activity 2 - get chatting and quilting
13.00 14.00
Jacob Goff
Hit It! Community Quilting for Marginalised Voices
As a member of FACE, I have encountered numerous accounts of isolation and racism from fellow minoritised members of the creative industries. This segment aims to harness these connections through the lens of community quilting, utilising it as both a research methodology and a vehicle for fostering solidarity and amplifying the voices of isolated marginalised people across the UK. By recontextualizing and centering the global tradition of quilting within the Black British experience, this conversation aims to cultivate networks, share stories, and ultimately contribute to a more inclusive and interconnected community.
This segment will take the form of an open discussion with the opportunity to opt-in to a subsequent community quilting project.
Activity 3 - speaking about belonging
13:00 -14:00
Adrianne Arendse and John Boddy
The Belonging Module
A module designed and led by Adrianne Arendse and John Boddy. In this talk they share, how it came to be, their working relationship (as allyship) and the resistance they experienced as they decentred whiteness.
L-R Caryn Franklin, Neelam Wright, Nada Koreish, Lorraine Henry King
Session 3 Decentering Spaces
13.50-14.00
Joyce Addai-Davies. Session 3. Recentering Voices.
14:00 - 14:30
Caryn Franklin
See My Academic FACE – national survey findings sponsored by Kingston School of Art. Presentation with PP slides
We address the additional challenges faced by Black and minoritised educators. This situation directly affects your institution's ability to successfully recruit and advance our colleagues and therefore students prioritising cultural competency as part of their learning. Our latest survey findings are briefly discussed, alongside five key recommendations for promoting race equity and combating implicit racial bias in our institutions.
14.30 - 15.15
Joyce Addai Davis
In conversation: The intertwine of three visionary RCA graduates who discuss their practise and their heritage.
Break 15:15 - 15:30
15:30 - 16:00
Neelam Wright
Decolonising film studies
This session offers a presentation and discussion exploring what cross-cultural film remakes can teach us about Black and Brown identity, cross-cultural translation and race in cinema. You will learn about recent research on 'orientalism' in Steven Spielberg's Temple of Doom (1984) and 'occidentalism' in Bollywood film Mr India (1987). We will then participate in a group discussion activity comparing The Wizard of Oz (1939) to its Black adaptation The Wiz (1978) with a focus on the latter film in terms of it's political aesthetics and subversive design.
16:00 – 16:30
Sara Hume and Nada Koreish
Disrupting , Decolonizing and Fashioning North Africa,
Dr Sara Hume and Nada Koreish will present about the challenges and opportunities they have faced organising an exhibition of North African Fashion at the Kent State University Museum. The exhibition is designed to push back against the conventions in the discipline of fashion history of drawing sharp binaries between modern vs. traditional, western vs. non-western, and fashion vs. folk. People mistakenly assume that the increasing globalisation of the fashion industry leads ultimately to growing homogenisation. In this talk we will discuss the ways that North African fashion has been catalogued and displayed by museums in the past. Non-western fashion including objects from North Africa and the Middle East has been stored separately from Western fashions. Rather than organised chronologically or by designer, they are grouped geographically. Similarly, they are conventionally exhibited separately and contextualised according to their “traditions” and “symbols.” We will discuss the thematic organisation of the exhibition and challenges posed by the logistics of working with contemporary designers located on a separate continent.
16:30 – 17:00
Lorraine Henry
What can Bond teach us about equity?
James Bond the fictional British MI6 agent, code named 007 and Black British actor Idris Elba are discussed in how they might help us decentre creative spaces. James Bond’s exquisitely tailored suits and mythos are interrogated for acting like an armour of nobility. Bond offers iterations of the contemporary quintessential Englishman that some argue Elba cannot deliver. These colonial notions of a gentleman and elite access question how corporeal skin’s interpretations impact Idris Elba as Bond.
Can Bond’s suits, his powerful gadgets, license to kill and record-breaking box-office receipts continue if the armour of nobility is worn by Elba? More importantly, what can Bond teach us about equity?
L-R Beatrice Newman, Catharine Hudson, Jason Forrest, DJ Timi Shogbola, Sabine Lettmann
17.00 - 17:30
Beatrice Newman and Catherine Hudson
Exploring the intersections of Black personhood and marginalised voices in the fashion industry
This presentation explores the intersections of Black feminism and the voices of marginalised women in the fashion industry. It critically examines the demonisation of Black and trans women, highlighting the creative perspectives and contributions of both Black cis and trans women to fashion and Black culture. Despite their significant influence, these women face a persistent lack of visibility and space within mainstream narratives. Through the lens of Black feminism, the presentation discusses how the fashion industry can evolve to better represent and celebrate the contributions of Black women. It calls for a re-evaluation of current practices, advocating for an inclusive and equitable fashion landscape that acknowledges and honours the diverse voices and creative input of Black women, both cis and trans. This ongoing research seeks to amplify their voices and challenge the status quo, pushing for systemic change within the industry.
17:30 - 18:15
Jason Forrest
A collage Zine Workshop based on the theme of Identity.
18:15 - 18:45
Closing remarks Sharon Lloyd
Decentering Thoughts : Recentering Souls : Decentering Spaces - the stories to pass on.
18:45 - 20:00 Party
SOUNDS and celebration
DJ Timi Shogbola 95 mins
End 20:00
Biogs
In alphabetical order.
Joyce Addai-Davis. Since 2015, I have refrained from purchasing new clothing, instead focusing on crafting, beautifying, and mending my clothes to address concerns about clothing waste. My commitment to sustainability was reinforced during a research trip to landfills in Ghana in 2021. While studying at the Royal College of Art, I developed an innovative concept centered on waste dictating design. My goal is to create purposeful fashion items with minimal reliance on new materials or, in some cases, using digital counterparts instead.
Moreover, I am thrilled to share that I am now a Fashion Research Tutor at the Royal College of Art, where I continue to explore the intersection of sustainability and fashion innovation.
Presently, I am deeply engaged in exploring the demodulation of footwear and accessories, employing data analysis to understand consumer behaviour. I also harness immersive technologies and AI for digital designs and prototyping. My artistic inspiration stems from the heroic narrative of Yaa Asantewaa, an 18th-century Ghanaian warrior who resisted British colonialism. I channel her spirit into combating waste colonialism. My proficiency in immersive technologies, AI, and world-building empowers me to push the boundaries for a more sustainable fashion future.
Zarifah Ahmad Zamri is a London-based researcher and visual artist. Her practice is situated at the intersection of image-making, art, and ethics. Informed by her third culture-identity and second-generation migrant background, Zarifah utilises her Malaysian and Saudi Arabian identity as a bridge in understanding the ethical considerations of contemporary affairs, including Eastern and Western discourses. Her practice brings in a critical lens in the way we perceive and understand culture, tradition, and identity in the form of storytelling and visual arts. Zarifah works around the ideas of decoloniality, histories and futures, and narratives and works with multiple sectors of art including: video, photography, zine, design. She holds a Masters in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography, obtained at UAL: London College of Communication. Since 2022, she worked closely with the Photography team as a LCC Changemaker, working to implement decolonial and inclusive practices into the college curriculum and teaching of photographic practice.
Tanveer Ahmed (she/her) teaches fashion design practice and theories and is senior lecturer in Fashion and Race at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London. Tanveer’s research recognises the urgent need to explore alternative justice-oriented forms of fashion design by centring plural fashion narratives inspired by anti-colonial concepts of fashion. Tanveer’s PhD titled 'Pluriversal Fashions: Towards an Anti-Racist Fashion Design Pedagogy' investigated how white normativity works to racially hierarchise fashion design epistemologies and used alternative decolonial feminist frameworks to counter dominant exclusionary definitions of fashion design. Tanveer is working on a monograph ‘Fashion and Anit-Racism’ (Bloomsbury forthcoming 2025).
Kemi Ajose is a knitwear designer based in South East London, who graduated from Central Saint Martins with a BA in Textiles Design. Her work highlights the significance between material, culture, and craft, drawing inspiration from traditional West African textile processes and translating these elements into contemporary knitwear.
Her designs showcase meticulous craftsmanship and skill, using the body as a blank canvas of self-expression. Each piece features a rich array of colours, textures, and patterns, all handmade and fully fashioned on her domestic knitting machine, resulting in a zero-waste production at her studio in Cockpit Arts, where she was awarded the Haberdashers scholarship in 2022. Kemi's products reflect her unique personal style and aesthetic, which is accessible and inclusive. She offers made-to-order pieces, commissions, and collaborations, ensuring that each creation is as unique as its wearer. Instagram: @morenikeji_textiles
Adrianne Arendse is a council member of Fashion and the Arts Creating Equity (FACE), a national organisation of Black and Brown academics, professionals and allies working towards racial equity and positive change in industry and higher education. Until June 2024 he was a lecturer and agency manager at Falmouth University where he co-led and -designed a module called Belonging which offered students ethical and empathetic considerations informing their creative practice. He implemented the module subjectively across Fashion, Television and Photography courses. His interests include the spectrum of rest for the Brown male and healing within and beyond decoloniality.
Tinyiko Baloyi is a lecturer in Fashion Design at the University of Johannesburg, where she teaches practical and theoretical modules in fashion production and design. Her research explores the connection between collective making, indigenous crafts, and sustainable living. She facilitates fibre crafts and sewing workshops in communities across South Africa, promoting hands-on creativity and skill development. Her art and design practice is centred on metaphysical and social connection, aiming to bring creative expression to a wider audience.
Kimberly Bediako is a lecturer in the Department of Fashion Design at the University of Johannesburg. She is involved in teaching undergraduate theory and design subjects and post-graduate supervision. She obtained a BA of Art with honours from LISOF and holds a Masters in Design from the University of Johannesburg. She is pursuing her PhD in Communication at the University of South Africa. Kimberly has worked on international research projects and initiatives that contribute to the discourse of gender equality and representation, design education, and youth development through pedagogic intervention.
John Boddy is the Head of Fashion at Falmouth University and the Registrar and Council Member at FACE. He has extensive experience in fashion and costume design for theatre and television after graduating from Central St Martins’ Fashion Design course . He co-led and -designed the Belonging Module in the Fashion & Textiles Institute at Falmouth University.
Charlie Casely-Hayford: Named one of the most influential people under 40 by GQ magazine and one of the 25 people who matter most in Menswear by is a menswear designer based in London England, where he was born. He founded the international menswear brand Casely-Hayford at the age of 22 with his father, the acclaimed British fashion designer Joe Casely Hayford OBE.
Cheraine Donalea Scott, Ph.D., is a writer, researcher, and producer who earned her doctorate from the Department of Media, Culture, and Communications at New York University. Her research focuses on how Black cultural innovations manifest and shape everyday social life in Britain through the intersections of sound and visual culture. Cheraine is an experienced educator, having taught a range of media studies courses at institutions in both the UK and the US. Beyond her research pursuits, she co-hosts a monthly radio show, ‘The New Nationwide Project,’ on Repeater Radio, where she engages in discussions about 21st-century popular culture.
Nick Dunn is a sports footwear designer and RCA alumni with over twenty years experience working specifically with top global sportswear brands (Umbro, Puma, Adidas, Nike) on collaborative projects with external partners predominately fashion designers such as Kim Jones, Neil Barret, Jill Sander, Mihara Yasuhiro and Alexander McQueen to name a few.
Nick is also a Year Leader, Senior Lecturer on the BA (Hon's) Textile Design course at Chelsea College of Art and a proud member of FACE since its inception.
Jason Forrest is the Curriculum Developer for Climate Justice at the University of the Arts London (UAL). His strategic goal is to include Climate, Social and Racial justice into course content at Camberwell, Chelsea, and Wimbledon (CCW) colleges through the processes of reapproval, modification, and validation processes.
He had the honour of presenting his findings at GLADHE Belfast Ulster University on the topic of "Climate Justice is a Climate Emergency." Jason was the programme lead for the University of East London's B A Fashion Marketing and Communication course prior to this position. (UEL) He led the institution's vision together with the focus of equity and inclusion across curriculum content.
Through his efforts, UEL was able to receive the Race Equality Charter (REC) and the Athena Swan Silver Award in April 2024. His dedication to inclusive education has been featured in AD Magazine, the publication of the National Society of Art and Design. Jason has also served as an external examiner for Central Saint Martins' M.A. programme in fashion image and journalism (CSM)
Caryn Franklin MBE, MSc (Psyche) MBPsS - former fashion editor and co-editor of i-D Magazine and prime-time BBC TV Clothes Show presenter throughout the eighties and nineties - is a multi-platform broadcaster, fashion and identity commentator and activist.
Co-founder of All Walks Beyond the Catwalk and the national Diversity NOW campaign 2009-2015. The campaign promoted a broader range of body and beauty ideals to include size, age and race and established the Diversity Network in collaboration with Professor Mal James at Edinborough School of Art . Caryn consulted with two successive Government Ministers of Equality: Lynne Featherstone and Jo Swinson and the APPG on Body Image chaired by MP Caroline Noakes to both broaden representation in media imagery and tackle education of students to engage with life sized bodies in HE design practice. Caryn is visiting professor of diverse selfhood at Kingston School of Art and a member of FACE. Her fifth book: SKEWED – Decoding Media Bias, co-written and narrated with Professor Keon West (2022) is available on Audible/Audiobooks.com/Google Books/Apple Books/Kobo and Spotify. IG: @franklinonfashion.
Elke Gaugele holds a PhD in cultural anthropology and works as a professor for Fashion and Styles/Contextual Design at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Institute for Education in the Art (IKL). She specializes in postcolonial and feminist intersectional fashion theory and global practice with a focus on the politics, global/social justice, ethics, and aesthetics of fashion. Her cultural analysis further focuses on the role of fashion, design and art in the context of global flight and migration, as well as for democracy in times of rising far-right extremism.
Sarah Held works as a scholar and artist at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. She holds a PhD in cultural studies and is vice-principal investigator of the fwf-research project “fashion and the far-right. the new complexity in style” (2023-2026). held was a doctoral fellow of friedrich ebert foundation and had a mentorship with otto von busch from parsons school of design, nyc. Her fields are critical fashion studies.
Catherine Hudson
Catherine Hudson’s design practise is an introspective exploration of displacement. Under this concept she explores belonging both ‘in-place’ and as Diaspora when the characteristics of a perceived environment act in conflict with your cultural heritage. Via exploratory research and process of discovery, Hudson explores how this impacts the formation of Black cultural identity.
By theorising visual culture of the British lived-experience, Hudson focuses on fashion as Dress through the deconstruction of style narratives, examined in her own Jamaican heritage and the affective nature of such. This inevitably allows for new dress outcomes in the transfer of curated 2D material into 3D prototype outcomes.
Lorraine Henry King is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE and is a fashion and costume practitioner, multi-media artist and race equity mentor. Henry King’s research in Black heroic masculinities using costume and surface adornment to rapidly rebalance readings of Black skin, positioning it as heroic. She collaborates across the University of the Arts on practice-based methodologies. Her research has been presented internationally through Critical Costume, the European Popular Culture Association, and the Superhero Project. Her publications include Heroic Skins: Superheroes, Excess and Black Skin as Costume in ‘Superheroes and Excess: A Philosophical Adventure', by Jamie Brassett and Richard Reynolds as part of Routledge's 'Advances in Comics Studies' series. Lorraine is also a member of FACE and chairs the Black Identities group for the Fashion Costume and Visuals Cultures (FCVC) Network.
Sharon N Hughes is a pioneering figure in global education, celebrated for her innovative approach to fostering inclusivity and cultural diversity in the arts. With a background in fashion studies, Sharon is a leading voice at the intersection of arts, technology, and business, utilising her digital strategy and marketing communications expertise to drive meaningful change. Throughout her distinguished teaching career spanning over fifteen years, she has delivered impactful lectures on topics ranging from fashion business models to social media marketing while also contributing extensively to academic and non-academic publications on themes such as Black beauty, fashion exhibitions, fashion ethics, social media for fashion and styling. Dedicated to fostering dialogue around the rich cultural heritage and the representation of Black and Brown identities in fashion, Sharon's extensive experience in marketing management, including consulting for prestigious brands like Chanel, highlights her talent for challenging norms and shaping brand development strategies. Through her academic achievements and unwavering dedication to inclusive cultural expression, Sharon continues to inspire students and colleagues, leaving a lasting mark on the educational and professional landscape.
Andrew Ibi is a designer, activist, artist, curator, dj and academic and currently the programme leader for the BA Fashion: Design & Communication course at Liverpool John Moores University, visiting professor at Middlesex University and holds external examiner positions at The Royal College of Art, Westminster University and Brighton University. Ibi is also a co-founder of FACE, an activation spawned in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
As a multi-disciplined cultural designer, his work started in 1996 in menswear after being awarded ‘Graduate of the Year’, subsequently starting his career at Joe Casely-Hayford. By the year 2000, Ibi was running his own unique take on ‘brands’, pioneering aspirational sportswear and streetwear marking him as an industry talent and one to watch. He was invited to show artworks and collections in Berlin, Barcelona, Florence, London and Tokyo.
Ibi’s experimental and non-linear approach to design is punctuated by projects like his award-winning and cult concept space, The Convenience Store. Conceived in 2007, Ibi performed the role of a local shopkeeper and curated avant-garde, luxury womenswear alongside everyday objects and groceries. E.MACBEAN was another intervention, scripting a radical approach to the swimwear category, dreaming up ‘pandemic virtual bands’ and ‘political poetry slams’ as fashion presentations.
In 2020, alongside Harris Elliot and Jason Jules, Ibi co-founded The BOLD Agency (The Black Orientated Legacy Development Agency). The BOLD Agency curated ground-breaking exhibition ‘The Missing Thread’ in 2023/4 at Somerset House, London, exploring untold stories of Black British fashion culture and simultaneously presenting the first major archival Joe Casely-Hayford exhibition. Ibi was a key figure in initiating the MA Joe Casely-Hayford Scholarship Award and Joe Casely-Hayford’s recent BFC award.
Professor Mal James has made an established impact on fashion design education, serving as the Fashion Programme Director at Edinburgh College of Art at the University of Edinburgh, as well as Head of the School of Design. During his tenure, he founded the All Walks Beyond the Catwalk Diversity Network, proposed by Caryn Franklin; a pioneering initiative aimed at empowering students and equipping them to become catalysts for positive change within the fashion industry. He was previously a Trustee of Graduate Fashion Week and sits on the committee for the British Fashion Council Colleges Council.
His work has been exhibited internationally at venues such as the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, the International Centre for Lace and Fashion in France, and exhibitions in Nottingham, Venice, and Shanghai. In 2019, he contributed his expertise to the National Museum of Scotland's ‘Body Beautiful: Diversity on the Catwalk’ exhibition and authored a chapter on fashion education and inclusivity in the recent book Fashion Education, the System Revolution.
Nada Koreish is a UK-based Egyptian educator, designer, and researcher committed to decolonizing fashion education. With experience working in Egypt, the United States, and Wales, she currently lectures at Cardiff Metropolitan University, where she introduces innovative teaching methods focused on critical thinking and less traditional topics like wokeness, decoloniality, and identity.
As a founder of the Fashion Liberation Collective and a co-creator of the Global Fashioning Assembly, Koreish is actively working to create a more equitable and inclusive fashion industry. Her research explores the potential for fashion to challenge Western dominance and celebrate diverse cultures. Through her teaching, research, and activism, Koreish aims to inspire future generations of designers and promote a more just and sustainable fashion system.
Max Kandhola is a photographer and Associate Professor at Nottingham Trent University. His photographic work critically explores cultural displacement and marginalized identities. Using an intersectional framework, it challenges dominant portrayals of race, gender, and social space, offering counter-narratives that disrupt hegemonic discourses and reclaim visibility for historically underrepresented groups. Publications include, The Aura of Boxing (2014), Flatland: A Landscape of Punjab (2007), Illustration of Life (2003), Autograph Monograph (1996), ed by Mark Sealy. Kandhola's work featured in, Photography: Race, Rights and Representation (2022) Sealy, and Representation Figure of Christ (2020) Dietschy. From 1999-2002, represented by Barbara Greene Fine Art, New York, and currently represented by Photoink, Delhi. Kandhola was awarded Light Work Artist in Residency in Syracuse (1996, 2002). He has exhibited work at Impressions Gallery UK, StreetLevel Glasgow, Photofusion London, Rencontres d’ Arles, France. Recent exhibitions, Seven Words of Christ at Chester Cathedral, (2022), St Marks New York (2020). Exhibited in FotoFest 2018 in Houston, India Contemporary Photography, ‘u fucking paki’. His work is many held in private and public collections, The Deutsche Bank Collection, National Trust and UK Government Art Collection. He is a council member with FACE. Kandhola’s new work examines the fragility of the aged male body; the process of grieving through the lens of Haruki poetry and photography; The philosophical and ceremonial aspects of baptism (Amrit) in Sikh culture; Decolonial diasporic narratives in botanical plant life, in collaboration with Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Sabine Lettmann is a fashion designer and creative consultant who specialises in circular fashion design, systems thinking and concept development. She works as a Senior Lecturer and teaches internationally. Her research is framed by the intersection of design, place, experience and higher education and she publishes and presents her work internationally. Evolving from her practice and research, she has developed the Circular Design Cards, a methodological guide and tool to design circular fashion products and systems. Sabine holds a Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy; she is a RSA Fellow and an Associate of FACE (Fashion and the Arts Creating Equality).
Erin Lewis The installation of protest clothing by participants and collaborators of Stitch for Change of The Hastings Refugee Buddy Project, used design practice to create conversation and engage with community. The pieces were exhibited in a fashion show and exhibition at the De La Warr Pavillion in the summer of 2024. Home textiles were donated from the local community for the participants to reuse and remake to tell their own stories.
Workshops and exhibition were lead by fashion designer Erin Lewis, and co-facilitated by Janey Moffatt and Sarah Buller. Erin has been an associate FACE member since 2020 and is an associate design lecturer at UAL. Erin has worked for almost two decades in Mexico alongside Carla Fernandez, working to change fashion systems with ethical design practices and social projects.
Sharon D. Lloyd, Associate Professor and Deputy Director of the Centre for Equity and Inclusion at London Metropolitan University, is a dynamic leader committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within both higher education and the beauty industry. With over 20 years of experience, she has pioneered transformative programs that challenge traditional norms and encourage more inclusive conversations and practices.
As Co-Founder and Chair of Fashion and the Arts Creating Equity (FACE), Lloyd leads a national movement to address racial and social equity in the fashion, arts, and education sectors. Under her leadership, FACE has launched key initiatives like the SeeMyFACE and SeeMyAcademicFACEsurveys, which promote race-awareness and equity in educational environments, and the FACE Race Handbook – a personal toolkit for educators tackling racism in our arts education system.
In addition to her work with FACE, Lloyd plays a pivotal role at the British Beauty Council. In 2024, she spearheaded the development of the national survey and report, A Beauty Industry That Looks Like You, which emphasizes the significance of inclusivity in the beauty industry and advocates for broader representation.
Her role at London Metropolitan University as Deputy Director of the Centre for Equity and Inclusion further enhances her influence, allowing her to shape policies and initiatives that promote equitable access and opportunities for students and staff alike. Lloyd's leadership and vision continue to break barriers and drive meaningful change across multiple sectors.
Khaya Mchunu is a senior lecturer in the Department of Fashion Design in the Faculty of Art, Design, and Architecture (FADA) at the University of Johannesburg. His research interests include studying specific South African fashion and dress histories through archival work for alternative fashion imaginaries and narratives. He also has a keen interest in training interventions within the contexts of community sewing and craft circles through transdisciplinarity as an approach.
Gabrielle Miller is an experienced practitioner, researcher, consultant and educator specialised in pedagogical development for Climate, Racial and Social Justice. She provides creative direction to industry partners and higher education to collaboratively work towards embedding sustainability and anti-racism pedagogy into fashion practice. She brings expertise from her time working as a designer in fashion houses including Alexander McQueen and Givenchy, and has worked in sustainable design for ten years both teaching at London College of Fashion, across University of the Arts London, and at research centres including the Centre for Sustainable Fashion. Her work aims to disrupt and suggest ways forward that addresses equity, belonging and justice, by raising awareness of biases and injustices within fashion.
Beatrice Newman
Beatrice Newman is Head of Department at the University of East London and a creative entrepreneur and designer renowned for her expertise across various fashion domains. She plays a pivotal role as a venture builder at Beyond Form and is the founder of MODE, a fashion education platform specialising in business, sustainability, and technology.
Her extensive knowledge encompasses digital technology and the development of innovative models for creative businesses, alongside a deep understanding of heritage handcraftsmanship, a hallmark of her renowned fashion brand. Having earned her Master's in Digital Fashion from the London College of Fashion, Beatrice embarked on a journey culminating in establishing her womenswear label, KORLEKIE.
KORLEKIE, renowned for its fusion of British and Ghanaian cultural influences, reflects Beatrice's diasporic creative journey and commitment to celebrating diverse cultural narratives. Leveraging her experience as a designer entrepreneur, Beatrice champions fashion education, infusing her classroom teachings with innovative business acumen while advocating for cultural diversity within the curriculum.
DJ Timi Shogbola My practice is rooted in a multidisciplinary exploration of sound, music, and African diaspora narratives, engaging with hip-hop modalities and sonic archives as a form of creative excavation. Through DJing, mixing, filmmaking, installation, performance, and scenography, I delve into the dynamics of Blackness, focusing on how Black bodies navigate and interact with space. Central to my work is the concept of musical archaeology, where sound and music serve as tools to excavate, archive, and reimagine histories and identities.
Deeply community-oriented, my practice radically rethinks art pedagogy by bringing together sound, music, spaces, and people to elevate and illuminate the lived experiences of marginalised communities. By harnessing soundsystem culture as a subversive method, I challenge conventional perceptions of marginalised bodies, particularly the Black femme body, in both curated and organic environments. Through immersive experiences, I invite audiences to engage with the shifting dynamics of Blackness and its transformative power to disrupt and reshape space.
Dr Patricia Wu Wu is a design researcher, educator and a Lecturer in Fashion Design at the Edinburgh College of Art. Her practice explores fashion through an expanded lens to investigate new ways of thinking and designing with the body, often resulting in multi-modal works in the form of data-driven 3D printed wearables, diagrams, fashion visualisations and animation. Current interests lie in exploring human-AI interactions and reexamining the historical roots of computational technologies through ancient textiles practices, oral traditions and rituals.
Her work has been exhibited and presented at international events, galleries and museums, including Milan Design Week, Berlin Fashion Film Festival, Disseny Hub Barcelona, Fondazione Mondo Digitale, British Museum, Arebyte Gallery, Talbot Rice Gallery and the BBC Broadcasting House as part of the Bridging Responsible AI Divides (BRAID) Programme Launch Event. Her projects have been published in peer-reviewed journals such as ELISAVA Temes de Disseny, in international conferences The Association of Fashion & Textiles: Futurescan 5, and a contributing chapter in the book Radical Fashion Exercises (Valiz, 2023).