COTTON USA and Loughborough University are proud to announce a collaboration with the goal of encouraging future industry professionals to innovatively use U.S. cotton. The first Innovation Competition was recently launched in partnership with the esteemed university’s Textiles: Innovation and Design programme, and will see second year students specialising in textiles and fabrics taking part in the competition.
Students will receive individual support to develop new and innovative ways of working with U.S. cotton, with COTTON USA later promoting the students’ work to a global network of brands and retailers. Working with high quality U.S. cotton fabrics, students will produce a portfolio of original design work and will be encouraged to experiment with materials and processes in order to develop innovative fabrics. Participants will have the opportunity to present their collections to fellow students, academics and industry representatives later this summer.
Stephanie Thiers-Ratcliffe, International Marketing Manager for COTTON USA, commented: “Loughborough University consistently tops university league tables for both course quality and student experience, with the Textiles Department in particular benefiting from exceptional facilities and specialist technical expertise. We are thrilled to be partnering with them to encourage and support future industry talent. More than ever, working with fabrics and fibres that are of the highest quality and responsibly produced is an essential part of the design process. Our partnership with Loughborough University is a very important part of COTTON USA’s ongoing commitment to support the wider industry, by educating future industry professionals about the versatility, consistency and uses of U.S. cotton.”
