Vanessa Brain – Fashion and Sustainability

Bringing a wealth of commercial fashion and sustainability experience, Vanessa is a co-founder of V&V Sustainability Consultants, specialists in supporting the fashion, footwear and jewellery sectors take action to improve the social and environmental performance of their businesses and supply chains.

Since starting out in design and achieving a fashion design degree in menswear tailoring, Vanessa has over 20 years’ experience working with brands, global supply chains, NGOs and multi stakeholder organisations. Vanessa was instrumental in creating the global market for Fairtrade Cotton, pioneering work which paved the way for the sustainability agenda within fashion. She has progressed on to develop and lead international programmes focused on reducing the environmental impact of textiles and footwear across a range of materials.

Vanessa is passionate about the capacity for creativity, innovation and education to deliver the changes that need to happen for the fashion industry to be sustainable for both people and planet.  Vanessa will bring her expert knowledge of fashion and sustainability to bolster Fashion Fiesta’s activities in this area and is excited by the potential the platform has to inspire and influence positive change.