Wednesday 4 Feb | 18:00 – 20:30
Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7QX

We’re delighted to announce the launch of our next innovation challenge Manufacturing Futures 2026 at Whitechapel Gallery. Join us for an evening drinks reception to hear about the prizes, learn how to apply, and network with leading figures from London’s fashion, tech, and innovation communities. 

The Launch

To help us launch the challenge, we’ll host a Meet the Judges session, featuring this year’s expert panel: Adam Mansell, CEO of UKFT; Georgia Parker, Innovation Director at Fashion for Good; Philly Grogan, Sustainability Manager at Nobody’s Child; and Matthew Drinkwater, Head of Fashion Innovation Agency at UAL: London College of Fashion. Together, they’ll discuss the challenges of scaling innovation for both brands and innovators, and what makes a great applicant.

Afterwards, we’ll reveal this year’s challenge brief, where attendees will get the opportunity to learn more about the application process and find out the judge’s criteria for selecting the winners.

Additionally, we will unveil an exclusive showcase featuring emerging designers and brands that recently completed Evo Fashion – a business support programme delivered by Fashion District and Evo Learning, funded by London & Partners as part of the Grow London Early Stage programme. Don’t miss out on the chance to meet the designers and innovators shaking up the future of sustainable fashion.

The evening will conclude with networking, drinks and nibbles.

Agenda:

About The Challenge

Fashion District’s annual Innovation Challenges are designed to address pressing industry issues and support emerging innovations and SMEs. This year, we’re focusing on manufacturing and are seeking technological and sustainable solutions capable of tackling the complex challenges facing fashion manufacturing. This could include anything from:  

We also seek to encourage tech solutions, including those from other sectors, that could be applied to fashion manufacturing and help create interdisciplinary connections between technologists and engineers, and fashion creatives and manufacturers. 

Applicants will be in with the chance to win cash prizes, business support, and the opportunity to pitch to some of the industry’s leading brands and innovators. 

MEET OUR JUDGES

Adam Mansell | CEO, UKFT

Adam is the CEO of UKFT. Having joined the industry 25 years ago, he has worked across a wide number of trade bodies, representing all aspects of the fashion and textile supply chain. Additionally, Adam is Chair of the Future Fashion Factory, Board Member at the University of Leeds’ School of Design Industrial Advisory Board, and Vice President of Ginetex, the international care labelling organisation, as well as holding positions at CAPITB Trust, Textiles 2030 and the Institute for Positive Fashion.

Georgia Parker | Innovation Director, Fashion For Good 

Georgia Parker is responsible for scouting, screening and scaling innovators in the areas of raw materials, wet processing and circular business models. She also looks after impact reporting, tracking both FFG’s and the innovators progress across key KPIs. Georgia joined Fashion for Good from Adidas, where she worked in the Brand Sustainability team. 

Philly Grogan | Sustainability Manager, Nobody’s Child

Philly heads up Sustainability at Nobody’s Child, overseeing the London-based label’s delivery on topics including circularity, supply chain, and preferred materials. Originally from a design background, a longstanding curiosity of the impact of materials directs her work and she finds great enjoyment developing solutions to mitigate the industry’s environmental and social impact through innovative, alternative, and regenerative processes. 

Matthew Drinkwater | Head of Fashion Innovation Agency at UAL: London College of Fashion

Matthew is a world-renowned expert in emerging technologies and their application to the creative industries. A specialist in immersive technologies (XR/MR/AR/VR), he and his team are building pathways for a truly digitised world. Named as a ‘fashion-tech trailblazer’ by Draper’s and a ‘pioneer and a visionary’ by Wired, Matthew has delivered ground-breaking experiences and a stunning range of projects that have captured the imagination of both the fashion and technology industries.

SPEAKERS

TBC 

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