Huddersfield Textile Society President’s Message - September 2015

I hope you agree the Society has had another successful year and we look forward to the new season of lectures and events, just posted on to your website.

The theme of the programme is as last year - to try to present the best new thinking and creativity in the key areas of design, marketing and innovation in our industry - to you, our members.

The move across to electronic communication has been broadly met with approval and the new website, Facebook and Twitter feeds are being used widely. 

Your committee has appointed a Senior Vice President (President Elect), Nicola Redmore,  to follow on from myself in April next year. Nicola is Head of Textiles at Huddersfield University and before moving to academia had a successful career in the industry for 16 years. First at Courtaulds Automotive, where after various roles she became Design Director, and then with Milliken Textiles in roles around the world. As you can see below, she is now running a very successful and dynamic department at the University.

We are very fortunate to announce Lynn Giblin as our next Honorary Secretary to succeed Adrian Smith, who has done a sterling job for so many years. Lynn, Conference Manager at the Textile Centre of Excellence, has been very supportive to the Society over a number of years. Adrian will spend the next year handing over the reins to Lynn.

The University’s annual Graduate Show in June showed a particularly high standard of work this year, with a large number of graduates being chosen to go forward to show at the new designers’ forum in London. The sheer professionalism of the printed brochures of their work was outstanding and demonstrates why most of the graduates from our University find jobs quickly. Your Society continues to give prizes and awards to the best of our apprentices and graduates each year at the annual dinner.

I look forward to my final year as your President and thank you all for your support.

Stephen Sheard.