Friday 14 July
13:30 – 14:15
The Studio
Looking for ways to implement circularity into your business? Join The WIP’s panel talk for an enlightening discussion with industry experts!
As part of The WIP’s Sustainable Business Summit, join them as they bring together a distinguished panel of visionary designers and industry leaders who are spearheading the adoption of circular systems within the fashion industry. Discover practical strategies and innovative approaches that you can implement in your own business to contribute to a more sustainable future and gain valuable insights into the exciting future of circular fashion.
Speakers
Genia Mineeva
Genia is the Founder of BEEN London, an award-winning sustainable accessory brand with a vision to transform the way consumers perceive waste. Recognised as one of the most innovative fashion companies by British Vogue, BEEN London crafts all its products by hand in the heart of London, utilising materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. Before launching BEEN London, Genia researched the potential in repurposing and recycling wastable objects, transforming them into innovative materials for BEEN.
In addition to her role as the Founder of BEEN London, Genia serves as a member Assessor in the University of Cambridge, contributing her expertise as a Sustainability Leadership lecturer on sustainable materials innovation. Before BEEN, Genia worked as a political journalist for the BBC, running campaigns for notable organisations such as UN, Change.org, Natalie Vodianova’s Naked Heart Foundation and many others.
Kae Katz
Kae is the Founder of FibreLab, an innovative textile-recycling company that keeps textile waste local and valuable by turning it into new material. The FibreLab concept emerged from Kae’s research for her MA in Fashion Futures from London College of Fashion. FibreLab works closely with their individual clients to provide tailored solutions including collecting, shredding and recycling fabric cut offs from the manufacturing industry, and transforming them into innovative materials for their clients.
The brand also organises workshops and events that revolve around the topics of sustainability, circularity, waste utilisation and community building. Kae’s exceptional work has garnered recognition and accolades, including the prestigious ‘Mayor’s Entreprenuer’s Award for the Creative Industries,’ the ‘Better Lives Award’ from Procter & Gamble and, most recently, an Innovate UK Fast Start Grant, which funded FibreLab’s latest material innovation: PAPERTEX.
Bianca Rangecroft
Bianca Rangecroft is the Founder and CEO of Whering, a flash tech app allowing consumers to digitise their wardrobe and style everything already owned, promoting a sustainable and conscious approach to fashion and second-hand items. With a strong belief in the future of retail circulation, Bianca is dedicated to empowering like minded conscious consumers to utilise their spending for good and actively slow down the rate of clothing consumption.
Whering’s mission is to revolutionise the way people engage with their wardrobes and make sustainable fashion choices. Through research and app tracking, Whering has discovered their users are spending their valuable ten minutes not on online shopping but rather on Whering, where they can reuse and recycle their clothes and outfits again. Since its launch in June 2020, Whering has gathered an impressive amount of user base of 250,000 registered users.
Lucy Thompson
Lucy Thompson is the brand partnerships lead at SOJO, the London-based fashion-tech platform re-inventing the clothing repair and tailoring industry. Launching in 2021 as the UK’s first clothing and alterations app, SOJO delivers emissions-free door-to-door repair and alterations services to customers via their in-house tailoring studio, while providing an integrated and scalable solution to e-commerce fashion brands to help reduce returns and increase circularity within their businesses.
The WIP
The WIP is a membership platform dedicated to supporting SMEs in growing positive impact businesses. By fostering collective action and innovation, they aim to create a better future. Join their Premium Membership today for just £7.50 per month and unlock access to a vibrant Community Channel, a comprehensive learning resource library, exclusive perks and discounts, and enjoy a 50% discount on event tickets.
