Podcast: Cotton hidden voices - stories from the makers of your clothes

How do we bridge the gap between textile workers and consumers? And how can we encourage responsible production and responsible consumption?

Dr Mark Sumner (University of Leeds), is joined by his colleagues, Dr Divya Singhal (Goa Institute of Management, India) and Dr Bethan Bide (University of Leeds), to discuss their latest project - “Cotton hidden voices: stories from the makers of your clothes” - and how this follows on from their past research looking at unravelling the trail of modern slavery in the fashion and textile industry, and how Covid-19 affected the management to eradicate modern slavery from global supply chains. 

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Visit the project website for further information about the research discussed in this episode. 

This podcast episode was recorded remotely in March 2023. If you would like to get in touch regarding this podcast, please contact research.lubs@leeds.ac.uk. A transcript of this episode is available.  

“Cotton hidden voices: stories from the makers of your clothes” is a University of Leeds and Goa Institute of Management project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AH/W006936/1). 

About the speakers: Dr Mark Sumner is a lecturer in the School of Design, focussing on sustainability within the textile, clothing and fashion industry. His research interests cover a diverse range of subjects such as textile technology, innovation, sustainability and consumer behaviour.  

Dr Divya Singhal is a Professor at the Goa Institute of Management, India. Her research focuses on responsible management. 

Dr Bethan Bide is a Lecturer in Design and Cultural Theory at the University of Leeds. Her research centres around the cultural, social and business histories of fashion.