Ep 25. Turning Agri Waste to Cellulose Fibre, High-Tech Naturalism and the Making of a Fashion Scientist with Amanda Parkes

Ep 25. Turning Agri Waste to Cellulose Fibre, High-Tech Naturalism and the Making of a Fashion Scientist with Amanda Parkes

Author: Mili Tharakan September 29, 2025 Duration: 1:44:38
No Ordinary Cloth: Intersection of textiles, emerging technology, craft and sustainability
ArtsCraftsCultureLeisureSocietySociety & CultureTechnology
In this episode, host Mili Tharakan, dives deep into the extraordinary mind and career of Amanda Parkes—a true pioneer at the intersection of science, fashion, and engineering. Amanda has consistently challenged boundaries and redefined what's possible in textiles and sustainability. Amanda Parkes is a renowned fashion scientist with more than 20 years of experience pioneering innovation, sustainability, and smart materials across the fashion and technology sectors. As founding scientist and Chief Innovation Officer at Pangaia, she led the creation of market-first, sustainable materials, helping to earn the brand a top spot on Fast Company's Most Innovative Brands list. She holds a PhD and MS from the MIT Media Lab and degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Art History from Stanford. As an Advisor at Regeneration VC Amanda also advises leading climate tech and biomaterials startups and is an internationally recognised speaker, honoured by the Business of Fashion and Vanity Fair for her influential work shaping the industry. In this episode they explore Amanda's latest venture - Mothership Materials, where she is translating cutting-edge molecular separation technology to turn waste into valuable ingredients for the next generation of textiles and glucose for microbes. Amanda's insights offer a hopeful and innovative vision for the future of the textile industry. Key takeaways from this episode include the potential of waste valorisation in creating sustainable textiles, the importance of interdisciplinary approaches, and the need for robust business models in sustainable fashion. Mothership Materials [https://www.mothershipmaterials.com/] 00:00 Introduction to the No Ordinary Cloth Podcast 00:43 Meet Amanda Parkes: A Pioneer in Sustainable Textiles 05:52 Defining the Role of a Fashion Scientist 13:53 Amanda's New Venture: Mothership Materials 36:03 Navigating Interdisciplinary Skills and Innovation Diplomacy 43:44 Challenges and Strategies in Scaling Sustainable Technologies 51:53 Insights from Leading Innovation at Pangaia 01:09:40 Future of Emerging Textile Technologies 01:10:33 AI in Textile Innovation 01:11:18 Regeneration VC Fund's Mission 01:12:50 Challenges in Impact Measurement 01:15:12 Investment Nervousness in Fashion Startups 01:18:43 Career Path and Advice for Young Professionals 01:42:22 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Pangaia Lab [https://pangaia.com/pages/lab] I  Regeneration VC [https://regeneration.vc/] 🎧 Recommended Listening: Ep 14. Farm to Fibre [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7pkROyfOqLcGKROgefvVbG?si=07841c1ffeb94f86] Ep 15. Brewing Beer for Bio Leather [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ZOdHVnlo6w3r8SeqIXZFs?si=68af2db2cdce47f8] Ep 2. From Garden Waste to Leather [https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Nl38hmbdYsNR3jvNgBA1n?si=41b4c97285334137] Ep 16. Catalyst Shaping the Future of Sustainable and Ethical Fashion [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1CA74mGEUykDxtLXumRLW4?si=0cb6b72d60924243] Connect with me Mili Tharakan:  Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjtharakan/]  I  Insta [https://www.instagram.com/noordinarycloth/]  I  Buy me a coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/noordinarycloth]  I  Email [https://www.noordinarycloth.com/contact-8] ❤️ Subscribe and leave a review, I love to hear your feedback Cover art: Photo by Siora, Photography on Unsplash Music: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman

Mili Tharakan believes the fabric of our lives is quite literal. In her No Ordinary Cloth: Intersection of textiles, emerging technology, craft and sustainability podcast, she explores the profound, often invisible role textiles play, arguing they are our most intimate and pervasive technology. With over two decades as a smart textiles designer and researcher, Mili guides conversations that feel like pulling a thread and watching an entire world unravel. You’ll hear from material scientists engineering fabrics from unexpected sources, artists weaving cultural narratives into their looms, and bio-chemists reimagining sustainability at a molecular level. This isn't just about fashion trends; it's about the frontier where ancient craft meets cutting-edge innovation. Each episode delves into the stories of makers and thinkers who are fundamentally redefining what cloth can be and do-from responsive textiles that interact with their environment to new paradigms for circularity and ethical production. The dialogue sits at a rich crossroads, equally appealing to the hands of a hobbyist weaver, the mind of a tech enthusiast, and the conscience of an eco-conscious citizen. Tune in for a thoughtful, grounded exploration of the material that dresses us, shelters us, and increasingly, connects us to a more thoughtful future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 33

Official website RSS
instagramyoutubelinkedin
No Ordinary Cloth: Intersection of textiles, emerging technology, craft and sustainability
Podcast Episodes

1234»