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No Ordinary Cloth: Textile innovations in future materials, manufacturing and sustainability

by Mili Tharakan

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Latest episodes

Ep 37. Velvety Natural Flock Fibres from Textile Waste with Sara Robertson, Annika Syrjamäki and Sarah Taylor

October 11, 2026 · 1 hr 18 min

Flocking is one of those techniques we have all touched without knowing its name: the velvety surface on a wallpaper, a piece of packaging, a couture garment or a car dashboard. It is made from tiny fibres, electrostatically charged so…
🌱 Ep 36. Recycling Nylon, Paper Electronics and Secrets to Scaling a Startup with Luciano Caruso and Chloe So (xFashion District)

September 7, 2026 · 1 hr 25 min

This is a special episode in partnership with Fashion District London What actually happens in the years between "the science works" and "we're a real supplier"? In this episode of No Ordinary Cloth, Mili is joined by two founders walking…
Ep 35. Weaving out Waste: How WEFFAN is Forming Garments within Fabric with Graysha Audren

August 5, 2026 · 1 hr 13 min

What if the fashion industry didn’t have to create waste in the first place? In this episode of No Ordinary Cloth, Mili sits down with textile designer and founder of WEFFAN, Graysha Audren, to explore a radically different way of making…
Ep 34. From Wetlands to Wardrobes: What If Fashion Could Help Heal the Planet? with Julian Ellis-Brown

May 15, 2026 · 1 hr 8 min

In this episode, we step into very different territory. We leave the factory floor and the chemistry lab behind, pull on our wellies, and head into the wetlands. Our guest is Julian Ellis-Brown, CEO and Co-founder of Ponda — the…
Ep 33. Part 3 I Clean Run: Detoxing the Running Jacket I Care, Repair and Recycle with Charlotte Krist, Shay Sethi and Wajahat Hussain

May 11, 2026 · 1 hr 36 min

We’re used to thinking about sustainability at the point of purchase: what fibres a garment is made from, whether it’s certified or recycled. But the truth is, what we do with a garment after we buy it – how we wash it, whether we repair…

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Ep 32. Part 2 I Clean Run: Detoxing the Running Jacket I Dye, Finish and Construction with Jean Francoise Benoit, Jun Kamei and Matthais Feossel

April 23, 2026 · 1 hr 47 min

We tend to think a running jacket performs because of its fabric. In reality, much of what we experience – the colour, the way water beads on the surface, how quickly it dries – comes from an invisible layer of chemistry added after the…
Ep 31. Part 1 I Clean Run: Detoxing the Running Jacket I Fibre and Fabric with Hitesh Manglani, Jeanne Begon-Lours and Khorceska Batyrova

April 8, 2026 · 1 hr 31 min

Have you taken a close look at the label on your running jacket? It probably mentions a list of materials such as nylon, polyester, elastane — but what it doesn't say is that these materials are born from fossil fuels, made with toxic…
🌱 Ep 30. Behind the Label: How Data is Rewriting the Rules of Fashion with Jothi Kanayala and Atnyel Guedj (x Fashion District

April 2, 2026 · 1 hr 15 min

This is a special episode in partnership with Fashion District London What if you could trace every thread of a garment – from the cotton field to the shop floor and all the way to the recycling centre – and understand its true cost? Not…
🌱 Ep 29. Cotton, Soil & Solar: Re‑imagining the "Quiet King" of Textiles with Catherine Bottrill and Felix Bartlett (x Fashion District)

February 16, 2026 · 1 hr 11 min

This is a special episode in partnership with Fashion District London. In this episode of No Ordinary Cloth, we go back to where the cotton story truly begins: in the soil and in small farming communities. Mili is joined by Felix Bartlett…
Ep 28. AI Robotics for Fabrics and the Future of Stitchless Garment Making with Cam Myers

February 3, 2026 · 1 hr 25 min

This episode goes deep into the complexity of how our clothes are cut and sewn today and what it will take to rebuild apparel manufacturing for the 21st century. Mili Tharakan is joined by Cam Myers, Founder, CEO and Board Director…
Ep 27. Sustainability Through Longevity: Emotional Durability in Fashion with Charles Ross

January 7, 2026 · 1 hr 17 min

In this episode of No Ordinary Cloth, we sit down with Charles Ross, Performance Sportswear Design Lecturer at the Royal College of Art, to explore what durability and sustainability looks like in the fashion and sportswear industries…
🌱 Ep 26. Clothing Poverty, Pre-loved South Asian Wedding Fashion and Building Community for Change with Anoli Mehta and Sol Escobar (x Fashion District)

October 16, 2025 · 1 hr 12 min

Special episode by No Ordinary Cloth x Fashion District In this episode, Mili speaks with Sol Escobar, founder of Give Your Best, and Anoli Mehta, founder of Circular Threads, two inspiring women tackling fashion’s social and environmental…

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About the show

Textiles matter! It is the most ubiquitous and powerful material we live with - it has the power to fulfil both our senses and our soul. Textile innovations are shaping the future of materials, manufacturing, and the products we use every day, with sustainability and circularity driving a radical revolution. The most important shifts in our industry are happening upstream where researchers, designers, material scientists, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, and innovators are creating the future materials that will define the next generation of textiles. That's what No Ordinary Cloth explores. Host Mili Tharakan, a smart textiles innovator and researcher, unpacks textile material and manufacturing innovations from idea to market adoption, through her conversations with pioneers and global experts radically transforming the textile industry around the world. Through these in-depth conversations, you'll explore emerging textile technology, textile engineering, sustainable textiles, biomaterials, next gen materials, textile manufacturing innovation, circular systems, commercialisation and the future of fashion and technical textiles. If you're interested in textile innovation, future materials, sustainable textiles, fashion, and the people building the future fabric of our world, this show will help you understand where the industry is heading and why it matters. This show brings alive the myriad facets of the complex world of Textiles - a world where there are no ordinary cloths and fabrics have the power to change us and our world. Popular Episode Topics Include: Textile Innovation, Future Materials, Sustainable Textiles, Fashion, Biomaterials, Next Gen Materials, Textile Engineering, Emerging Textile Technology, Smart Textiles, Advanced Textiles, Technical Textiles, Textile R&D, Textile Manufacturing Technology, Future Fabric, Circular Fashion, Textile Recycling, Regenerative Materials, Supply Chain Transparency, Digital Product Passports, Materials Commercialisation, Textile Industry Transformation. Listen and be inspired, find new connections and create extraordinary textiles... Connect with Mili Tharakan: Linkedin I Instagram I Website Email: mili@militharakan.com Your support means the world to me, if you enjoyed this podcast why not consider buying me a coffee Credits Cover art: Photo by Siora Photography on Unsplash Music: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman