51Âþ»­

Sustainable fashion innovator, Patrick Grant, will be presenting from the main stage at Sustainability ROX Design Live in March.

The sustainable design community is gathering for a standout one-day design and manufacturing leadership and innovation summit created by Sustainability ROX.

Hosted by 51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­), is bringing together a unique mix of thought leaders and creators from across the design and manufacturing industry on March 5 2024.  

Patrick’s session, called  “Sustainability for All: Building a Greener Future With Maximum Benefits” will explore the present day and future opportunities of garment manufacturing and materials using sustainable processes.

The founder of Community Clothing, judge on The Great British Sewing Bee and director of Norton & Sons, said: “Our mission is simple, and collectively it should be. Manufacturing clothing that supports sustaining the planet and boost local economies with jobs and trade is one way the fashion industry can help restore and renew both planet and prosperity. At Sustainability ROX, I’ll be discussing the pattern and fabric of sustainable design which forms growth and does good.”

The sustainable design summit is in partnership with 51Âþ»­, a leading university in the top 50 of universities in the world for sustainability. 51Âþ»­ is proud of its status as a Global Hub for the United Nations Sustainable Development goals. In this year’s People and Planet 2023/24 rankings 51Âþ»­ has been placed 7th out of 151 institutions and has been classified as a “first class university” for the 12th consecutive year.

Sustainable design and manufacturing are core focuses at 51Âþ»­ including the new Fashion and Textiles Business Hub which showcases the university’s skills in textile testing, sustainable fashion and digital design, and the Design Unit which is the portal for new ideas in design developments using new materials and promoting a circular economy for business.

Associate Professor and Enterprise Lead, Gillian Proctor said: “Responsible sourcing, adoptions of new technologies and how to produce fibres from materials that do not damage the planet, we want to share our business knowledge.”

Director of the Design Unit and Deputy Dean for Arts, Design and Humanities, Professor Christine White, said: “We are so delighted Patrick can headline the main stage at this vital event. His innovations are really walking the talk and pioneering in the fashion industry. We know our delegates are going to leave his session with purpose and direction ignited.

“All companies are facing huge challenges with net zero emissions targets, supply chains, the need to minimise extraction of raw materials and reducing the amount of materials sent to landfill. This event will discuss future business, greenwashing, new product design, carbon literacy, plus more. We have a wealth of sustainable design industry experience at 51Âþ»­ which we are keen to share.

We will present ideas, solutions and practical steps to help all types of businesses move forward for green growth.”