📍 Venue: SISTER – Renold Building, 32a Altrincham Street, Manchester, M1 7JR
This Thursday Gathering, delivered in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University’s Fashion Institute, explores how fashion and textiles are being reshaped by sustainability, regulation and innovation. Bringing together researchers, startups, corporates and organisations including Age UK, the session will examine shifting legislation, supply chain disruption and the rise of regenerative business models. With Manchester’s rich textile heritage as a backdrop, the event will consider how the region can once again play a leading role in the future of materials and manufacturing. Through panel discussion and community dialogue, we’ll explore what a more sustainable, resilient and responsible fashion ecosystem could look like.
In partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University’s Fashion Institute
Powered by Advanced Research + Invention Agency
Step into a space where every conversation could spark something new. Enjoy music, refreshments, and a lively atmosphere designed to bring people together, whether you’re exchanging ideas, discovering collaborators, or simply sharing a laugh. This is the perfect moment to unwind, connect, and let serendipity guide your evening.
Join us ahead of the main event to explore the Fashion Innovator Showcase, where you’ll connect with emerging designers and innovative startups. Be among the first to experience fresh ideas and forward-thinking concepts shaping the future of fashion.
Bon de Pho is a contemporary fashion label rooted in storytelling and emotional design, creating collections that explore femininity, elegance and modern romanticism. Based in Manchester, the brand blends cinematic inspiration with refined craftsmanship to craft pieces that feel expressive, intentional and timeless in spirit.
CircKit® is the ‘Circular toolKit’: an AI-powered platform built to revolutionise the fashion and footwear industry by empowering brands to design sustainable products, optimise production, and meet compliance while unlocking new revenue streams.
Why do some objects stay with us for generations, while others are discarded within months?
This interactive workshop explores how fast furniture, changing lifestyles and convenience culture have reshaped the way we value the things in our homes, particularly the materials and fabrics that surround us every day.
Through conversation, tactile materials, restoration stories and collaborative activities, we’ll explore the relationship between sustainability, craftsmanship, emotional attachment and repair culture.
Together, we’ll rethink what makes an object feel worth keeping.
Perfect for anyone interested in:
• sustainable design
• interiors and upholstery
• circular economy thinking
• repair and restoration culture
• community sustainability
• the emotional side of objects and spaces
No prior knowledge needed.
Introduction from Venture Café.
Join our Lightning Pitch session where you’ve got just 60 seconds to introduce yourself and share your business or idea with the room. It’s fast, fun, and a brilliant way to meet fellow founders, spark conversations and get your idea out into the Manchester startup community.
🎟️ If you are interested in pitching, please pick up a raffle number from the registration desk for a chance to be selected to pitch!
Join us for a fireside chat with Robert Brigham, Managing Director of Ellis Brigham and Founder of Outsiders Store, exploring the changing future of outdoor retail, sustainability and consumer behaviour. From leading one of the UK’s best-known outdoor brands to launching a new retail and distribution concepts, Robert will share insights on the challenges, contradictions and opportunities shaping the next era of fashion and textiles.
The Manchester Fashion Institute will deliver a short introduction, sharing an overview of their work at Manchester Metropolitan University and how they bring together design, business and innovation to shape the future of fashion.
How can the fashion and textiles industry move beyond incremental sustainability towards genuinely regenerative, circular, and compliant systems, and what role can Manchester play in leading that transition?
This interactive workshop takes a deep dive into fashion industry legislation and regulatory standards, grounded in the findings of the LEGISTANDARDS Project by Dr. Hilde Heim and Julie Hodson of Manchester Metropolitan University. The session bridges research and practice, unpacking how evolving legal frameworks impact the fashion industry today. Expect practical insights, discussion of real-world compliance challenges, and opportunities to reflect on how emerging standards are reshaping design, production and accountability across the sector.
📍 Venue: SISTER – Renold Building, 32a Altrincham Street, Manchester, M1 7JR
This Thursday Gathering, delivered in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University’s Fashion Institute, explores how fashion and textiles are being reshaped by sustainability, regulation and innovation. Bringing together researchers, startups, corporates and organisations including Age UK, the session will examine shifting legislation, supply chain disruption and the rise of regenerative business models. With Manchester’s rich textile heritage as a backdrop, the event will consider how the region can once again play a leading role in the future of materials and manufacturing. Through panel discussion and community dialogue, we’ll explore what a more sustainable, resilient and responsible fashion ecosystem could look like.
In partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University’s Fashion Institute
Powered by Advanced Research + Invention Agency
Step into a space where every conversation could spark something new. Enjoy music, refreshments, and a lively atmosphere designed to bring people together, whether you’re exchanging ideas, discovering collaborators, or simply sharing a laugh. This is the perfect moment to unwind, connect, and let serendipity guide your evening.
Join us ahead of the main event to explore the Fashion Innovator Showcase, where you’ll connect with emerging designers and innovative startups. Be among the first to experience fresh ideas and forward-thinking concepts shaping the future of fashion.
Bon de Pho is a contemporary fashion label rooted in storytelling and emotional design, creating collections that explore femininity, elegance and modern romanticism. Based in Manchester, the brand blends cinematic inspiration with refined craftsmanship to craft pieces that feel expressive, intentional and timeless in spirit.
CircKit® is the ‘Circular toolKit’: an AI-powered platform built to revolutionise the fashion and footwear industry by empowering brands to design sustainable products, optimise production, and meet compliance while unlocking new revenue streams.
Why do some objects stay with us for generations, while others are discarded within months?
This interactive workshop explores how fast furniture, changing lifestyles and convenience culture have reshaped the way we value the things in our homes, particularly the materials and fabrics that surround us every day.
Through conversation, tactile materials, restoration stories and collaborative activities, we’ll explore the relationship between sustainability, craftsmanship, emotional attachment and repair culture.
Together, we’ll rethink what makes an object feel worth keeping.
Perfect for anyone interested in:
• sustainable design
• interiors and upholstery
• circular economy thinking
• repair and restoration culture
• community sustainability
• the emotional side of objects and spaces
No prior knowledge needed.
Introduction from Venture Café.
Join our Lightning Pitch session where you’ve got just 60 seconds to introduce yourself and share your business or idea with the room. It’s fast, fun, and a brilliant way to meet fellow founders, spark conversations and get your idea out into the Manchester startup community.
🎟️ If you are interested in pitching, please pick up a raffle number from the registration desk for a chance to be selected to pitch!
Join us for a fireside chat with Robert Brigham, Managing Director of Ellis Brigham and Founder of Outsiders Store, exploring the changing future of outdoor retail, sustainability and consumer behaviour. From leading one of the UK’s best-known outdoor brands to launching a new retail and distribution concepts, Robert will share insights on the challenges, contradictions and opportunities shaping the next era of fashion and textiles.
The Manchester Fashion Institute will deliver a short introduction, sharing an overview of their work at Manchester Metropolitan University and how they bring together design, business and innovation to shape the future of fashion.
How can the fashion and textiles industry move beyond incremental sustainability towards genuinely regenerative, circular, and compliant systems, and what role can Manchester play in leading that transition?
This interactive workshop takes a deep dive into fashion industry legislation and regulatory standards, grounded in the findings of the LEGISTANDARDS Project by Dr. Hilde Heim and Julie Hodson of Manchester Metropolitan University. The session bridges research and practice, unpacking how evolving legal frameworks impact the fashion industry today. Expect practical insights, discussion of real-world compliance challenges, and opportunities to reflect on how emerging standards are reshaping design, production and accountability across the sector.