As circularity becomes increasingly central to the future of fashion, this panel brings together founders and innovators building businesses rooted in reuse, remanufacturing and waste reduction. Exploring both the opportunities and challenges within the circular economy, the discussion will offer practical insight into sustainable business models, material innovation and how brands can rethink production and consumption systems for the future.
Meet the speakers:
Fashion designer and filmmaker Maximilian Raynor’s theatrical storytelling and non-conforming designs mark him as one of London’s “ones to watch.” With three seasons at London Fashion Week under his belt, he’s gained celebrity supporters including Chappell Roan, Lady Gaga, and Teyana Taylor. His work appears in Dazed, Another, Rolling Stone, Perfect, Glamour, and British Vogue. Derbyshire-born, he trained under Jonathan Anderson and Sean McGirr and lectures at top fashion schools. Raynor won the ITS Contest Italy, Attitude 101 Trailblazers, Drapers 30 Under 30 and his work is stocked at Machine A.
He’s earned awards for circular innovation and queer advocacy and is also a filmmaker, having co-developed a music video for pop sensation JADE and won his category at ASVOF Film Festival at Dover Street Market Paris for his short fashion film 'Manor for Heaven'.
Genia Mineeva is the founder of BEEN London, an award-winning accessories brand creating products entirely from waste-derived materials. A former BBC journalist, she is also a lecturer and advisor specialising in circular business models and sustainable innovation.
Katherine Soucie is a British-Canadian artist, designer and textile waste researcher specialising in upcycling, remanufacturing and creative reuse. Through her studio practice and research, she explores innovative ways to transform textile waste into fashion, art and material solutions.
Matt Hanrahan, co-Founder of Reskinned, is passionate about creating a more sustainable clothing world. He’s been involved in consumer marketing and innovative technology development for more than twenty years. From his wealth of in-depth knowledge of innovative tech, Reskinned was founded. The company offers brands and their customers better ways to continue the lifecycle of their garments, and strives to develop smarter, more effective circular textile systems.
Moderated by Gemma Metheringham, who is a circular fashion business model consultant, a secondhand fashion advocate, and a PHD student at Nottingham Trent University .
After working in the fashion industry for over 30 years, Gemma started The Elephant in me Wardrobe in 2020 to challenge overconsumption and throwaway fashion. The conversations started there led her to quit her job, complete an MA in Fashion Futures and start a PhD. Her research explores the future of the secondhand fashion market and how it might reduce fashion’s environmental impact. Committed to sharing what she’s learning, Gemma writes, lectures, upcycles, mends for friends, advocates for radical consumerism and asks ‘is fashion’s future secondhand?