Dr Claudia Henninger and Dr Celina Jones from the University of Manchester will deliver their research talk titled ‘Finding solutions for a circular economy – interdisciplinary research solutions’

Dr Claudia E Henninger, The University of Manchester

Biography:

Dr Claudia E Henninger is a Senior Lecturer in Fashion Marketing & Management, with a research interest in sustainability, the circular economy, and more specifically collaborative consumption, in the context of the fashion industry. Her work has been published in the European Journal of Marketing, the Journal of Fashion Marketing & Management, and the International Journal of Management Review, and she has edited a variety of books on sustainable fashion, including “Sustainability in Fashion – A Cradle to Upcycle Approach”. Claudia is further the Chair of the Academy of Marketing’s SIG Sustainability.

Dr Celina Jones, The University of Manchester

Biography:

Dr Celina Jones has completed an MSc in Textile Science and Technology at The University of Manchester, after which Celina was awarded the Doctoral Training Award by EPSRC for her PhD, creating textile materials inspired by structural colour in nature. Prior to her masters, she completed a BA in Textile Design at Chelsea College of Art and Design. Her PhD research has enabled her to fuse her design background with the new knowledge she gained during her MSc. In her role as Lecturer in Fashion Technology at The University of Manchester, Celina teaches at undergraduate and postgraduate level and develops research in the following areas: fashion product development, quality control, garment technology and textile science and technology including fibre sourcing, fabric construction and finishing, and fabric performance analysis.

Abstract:

The circular economy has become a buzzword in the 21st century, with the UN having made it a top global priority. What currently remains unexplored is what the current state is of the circular fashion economy and how this can be addressed through interdisciplinary research.

In this talk we will explore:

1. What the circular economy looks like applied to the fashion industry;

2. What different business models are currently utilised;

3. What consumer uptake looks like;

4. Why it is important to start interdisciplinary research.

We will introduce a variety of projects and current research that highlights the importance of this subject area and welcome a discussion surrounding opportunities and challenges of the circular economy.