Dr Alana James is a Senior Lecturer in Fashion at Northumbria University in Newcastle upon Tyne and is currently Programme Leader for MA Fashion Design. Within her role in the Design Department, she is also a visiting Professor at School of Computing and Creative Arts - Binus International in Jakarta, Indonesia, working closely with the Fashion and Fashion Management final year students. Aside from her teaching responsibilities, she is Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity for Design and will lead the departmental application for the Athena Swan gender equality charter in 2022.

Alana’s research explores responsible innovation within the garment supply chain, promoting more sustainable processes in the manufacture and consumption of fashion products. Working with multiple stakeholders, her work aims to create a transparent and accountable value chain, towards a sustainable future for the fashion industry. Since the publication of her PhD in 2015, entitled Influencing Ethical Fashion Purchasing Behaviour, lines of inquiry have continued to explore the diverse approaches possible in the implementation of sustainable practices in the fashion industry. Examples include: utilising zero-waste pattern cutting methods to lead the creative design process, engaging fashion consumers in a transparent business model, how higher education contextualises sustainability as a key design tool and the challenges facing the adoption of circular principles in fashion.

  Listen more to her story: https://youtu.be/9QolLu_etjQ