FUTURE THREADS - CAREERS IN SUSTAINABLE TEXTILES

Description

FUTURE THREADS: SUSTAINABLE TEXTILES

Explore the future of textiles through creativity, science, and sustainability.

Part of the FUTURE THREADS series from the Textiles Skills Centre, this resource introduces students to the exciting and evolving world of Sustainable Textiles through industry insight, creative exploration, and real career pathways.

Textiles are everywhere — from the clothes we wear and the spaces we live in, to healthcare, technology, transport, performance, and product design. As the industry faces global challenges, the next generation of textile creators, designers, scientists, and innovators are developing new materials, processes, and ideas to create a more sustainable future.

FUTURE THREADS is a series of career-led digital resources for textiles education, funded by the All Saints Educational Trust and Merchant Taylors’ Foundation, with support from leading industry and education partners.

Designed for secondary classrooms, these engaging, curriculum-aligned video lessons bring textiles to life through real-world case studies, contemporary applications, and inspiring interviews with professionals working across the sector.

This Sustainable Careers in Textiles resource helps students discover how sustainability is transforming fashion, interiors, costume, product design, and commercial textiles. Through exploring materials, creative processes, innovation, and industry practices, students will gain insight into the diverse opportunities available and the exciting careers shaping the future of textiles.

Discover how science, creativity, and sustainability are being woven together to design the textiles of tomorrow.

Supporting teachers with downloadable tasks, information sheets, and industry-informed content, the resource helps connect classroom learning directly to future pathways and the evolving world of textiles today.

RESOURCE AIMS

SUSTAINABLE TEXTILES RESOURSE CONTENT

This resource explores the exciting world of Sustainable Textiles through practical techniques, industry insights, and creative activities designed for the classroom, studio, or independent learning at home.

Supporting GCSE and A Level Design & Technology and Art & Design, the resource combines engaging video interviews, hands-on demonstrations, informative learning materials, and creative challenges to help students develop technical skills while exploring contemporary textile practice.

Through real-world examples and industry perspectives, students will discover how sustainability is shaping the future of textiles — from innovative materials and responsible production methods to new approaches in product design. The resource also introduces the diverse career pathways available within this evolving and creative industry, inspiring the next generation of textile designers, makers, scientists, and innovators.

THE RESOURCE INCLUDES

CREATIVE TASKS & INFORMATION SHEETS
Downloadable guides, extension activities, and supporting resources linked to each task and industry focus.

Jamie Brown - Task 1: From Waste to Wearable, Task 2: Design with Purpose, Task 3: Reinvent & Rework. Extension: Showcasing & Selling Your Sustainable Textile Product

LaundRe - Task: Reinvent a Denim Product. From Research, Design to Re-Work.

Cassie Quinn - Creative Challenge - Dive into the World of Natural Dyeing! (With H&S)

Fashion Enter - Learning Manufacturing Processes

Nathalie from NTU - Embellishing for a Sustainable Future – Research & Development to Techniques

COURSE DEVELOPER – Nicky Simpson BA (Hons) Textiles Design

This FUTURE THREADS resource has been developed by Nicky Simpson, a highly experienced textiles educator, course developer, and contemporary textiles artist specialising in printed and surface textiles.

Nicky has over 12 years’ teaching experience, including leading Fashion & Textiles within a secondary school in Kent, where she taught a wide range of qualifications including GCSE and A Level Art & Design Textiles, GCSE and A Level Design & Technology, and BTEC Level 3 Fashion. Alongside textiles, she has also taught Art, Graphics, and Food at KS3 level.

Before moving into education, Nicky worked as a Senior Director for a London-based fashion print agency, designing original prints and developing seasonal collections for the international fashion market. This strong industry background brings valuable real-world knowledge and contemporary practice into her teaching and resource development.

Nicky has worked as a textiles consultant for Textiles Skills Centre since 2017, developing and delivering both online and face-to-face workshops, resources, and mentoring programmes for teachers and creatives across the UK. She has also delivered workshops for major events and organisations including the Festival of Quilts, the Knit & Stitch Shows, and the National Trust.

Nicky’s own creative practice combines print, machine and hand embroidery, and mixed-media techniques, often inspired by the flora and textures of the British countryside. Through FUTURE THREADS, she is passionate about helping teachers and students connect textiles education with contemporary industry, creativity, and future careers.