Nicole Goddard, Designer and Entrepreneur, The Fruit Moth
Established in 2020, The Fruit Moth is the brainchild of Nicole Goddard. Having bought a sewing machine in lockdown and sitting on a pile of beautiful vintage linens collected in charity shops, Nicole started designing and making accessories in her spare bedroom. Fast forward to now, The Fruit Moth has a store inside Manchester Craft & Design Centre in the heart of the Northern Quarter, has collaborated with Uniqlo to support their sustainability pledge and has won awards within the Manchester business community.
Carole Wilson, Quality & Fit Manager, N. Brown Group
Quality & Fit Manager at N Brown, responsible for womenswear and menswear apparel across accelerated brands including JD Williams, Simply Be and Jacamo. Leads the Quality & Fit team, specialising in 3D fit development and driving fit consistency, quality standards and compliance across the organisation.
An adaptable and highly motivated Technical Manager with over 25 years’ experience in garment technology, bringing multi-product expertise across womenswear and menswear. Passionate about delivering excellent fit, driving quality and compliance standards, and leading innovative teams within a fast-paced, ever-evolving retail environment.
Monica Sedman, Senior Talent Acquisition Executive at JD
Monica is an experienced Senior Talent Acquisition Executive at JD.
She is passionate about early careers and looks after Buying, Merchandising, Studio and Digital at JD. Collaborating with university partners, she is often invited as a guest speaker to provide guidance to students and graduates to support their employability skills.
Lorna McDonald-Smith, Quality Assurance Manager, Castore
Lorna is an experienced Garment Technologist and Quality Assurance Manager with a wealth of knowledge gained in over 40 years in the clothing industry. Starting as a trainee pattern cutter in UK manufacturing, moving into Garment Tech and heading up the GT and product development teams for companies such as Ellesse, Missguided, AMC China, with focus on global sourcing and supply chain strategy .Now QA Manager at Castore leading the development of QA at source; head office and developing the team in the DCs in Liverpool and Europe.
Hannah Beaumont-Laurencia, CEO Beaumont Organic | Conscious Living Advocate
Hannah Beaumont-Laurencia is an experienced entrepreneur, brand founder, and sustainability advocate in the fashion and textiles sector. A proud alumna of the University of Manchester, Hannah founded Beaumont Organic, pioneering ethically made, sustainable clothing and leading the brand from a small startup to an internationally recognised label. She combines her creative vision with a strong commitment to responsible business practices, championing organic materials, fair production, and transparent supply chains. Alongside her brand leadership, Hannah is passionate about mentoring emerging talent and helping shape a more sustainable future for the fashion industry.
Shai Nicholas, Senior CRM Executive, The Dune Group
Shai is a 2024 graduate of the University of Manchester, where she achieved a First-Class degree in BSc (Hons) Fashion Marketing with a Year in Industry.
Now based in London, she is the Senior CRM Executive for Dune London, working across UK and international markets.
Alongside this, Shai is a freelance Creative & Marketing Consultant working across creative direction, styling, production and marketing strategy.
Maximus Chidera, Creative director Max Chidera limited & Max Chidera Foundation CIC
Maximus Chidera Oparah is the Creative Director of Max Chidera Limited, a fashion brand originally founded in Lagos, Nigeria and now rooted in the United Kingdom. His work sits at the intersection of cultural storytelling, contemporary design, and minimalist positioning.
He has showcased collections at international fashion events, including African Fashion Week Lagos , African Fashion week London, and has dressed a number of high-profile clients.
Alongside his brand, he leads the Max Chidera Foundation CIC, which focuses on supporting young people through creative mentorship initiatives, programs, workshops, and industry engagement.
His work is driven by a commitment to elevating Contemporary-inspired fashion within the global creative landscape.
Garry Knox, Vice Chair, ASBCI (Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry)
Garry is Vice Chair of the ASBCI.
The Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry (ASBCI) was formed in 1992, Since 1992, the ASBCI has grown from 20 members to over 100 including some of the most prestigious names within the clothing and textile industry, forming a huge pool of expertise.
The ASBCI is a unique association in that our members represent connections with and knowledge of all the key sectors of the industry.
From fibre manufacture to garment manufacture, retail and aftercare, ASBCI truly is a centre of technical and commercial excellence where companies at the forefront of the specific sectors can discuss, share, and develop practices, processes and initiatives that will benefit their organisations and the UK clothing supply chain as a whole.
ASBCI activities include technical seminars, conferences, webinars, publications and technical visits; as well as student member activities which includes competitions.
Garry is also Sustainability Director of GreenEarth Cleaning
Working with Fashion brands, manufacturers, and Fashion resellers to help navigate them along the sustainable textile aftercare journey of GreenEarth Cleaning. Doing business without doing harm.
Daniel Ward, Founder / Managing Director, Danielle Ward Recruitment
Dani is one of the UK’s leading fashion recruiters, with a career spanning over 20 years, working with the majority of the biggest and best Fashion, Textile, Homeware & FMCG businesses across the globe.
Dani originally began working within the industry with Dune Recruitment, and progressed to become a director, responsible for the day to day running of the business. In 2015 she launched Danielle Ward Recruitment, which continues to go from strength to strength.
Her Manchester based team have built a niche in providing an industry leading support to both clients and candidates that has resulted in many of those relationships being maintained up to this day.
Danielle Ward Recruitment recruit all types of roles from graduate/entry level to Director, and her team offer advice and support to anyone looking to build their career within our industry.
The Textile Institute, Based in Manchester, UK, with a global network of members
The Textile Institute is a global professional body connecting students, graduates and industry experts across fashion, textiles and footwear. Founded in 1910 and based in Manchester, it supports the next generation of creatives by providing access to industry knowledge, networking opportunities and professional recognition. Through its worldwide community of academics and practitioners, it helps students build connections, develop their careers and stay at the forefront of innovation in the fashion and textile industries.