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No Ordinary Cloth: Intersection of textiles, emerging technology, craft and sustainabilityAuthor: Mili Tharakan
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. Join Mili Tharakan, a Smart Textiles designer and researcher with 20 years experience, as she speaks to textile makers, engineers, bio-chemists, material scientists, artists, innovators and others who are pushing the boundaries of the Textile and Fashion industry by creating textiles that challenge the very meaning, role and function of fabrics as we know it today.Through her conversations and insights with global experts, she brings alive the myriad facets of the world of Textiles - a world where there are no ordinary cloths and fabrics have the power to change us and our world.So listen in and be inspired, learn, find connections and create extraordinary textiles...Connect with Mili Tharakan:Email: mili@militharakan.comwww.noordinarycloth.comInstagram I LinkedinYour support means the world to me, if you enjoyed this podcast why not consider buying me a coffeeCreditsCover art: Photo by Siora Photography on UnsplashMusic: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman Language: en Genres: Arts, Design, Fashion & Beauty Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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🌱 Ep 29. Cotton, Soil & Solar: Re‑imagining the "Quiet King" of Textiles with Catherine Bottrill and Felix Bartlett (x Fashion District)
Episode 29
Sunday, 15 February, 2026
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, founder of Biothread, and Dr. Catherine Bottrill, co‑founder of ACE (Affordable Clean Environment) Cotton, to explore how regenerative farming, microbial science and clean energy can transform the future of the world’s favourite fibre.Together they unpack the small and large scale cotton farming industry and ask what it would mean for cotton to become a force for regeneration: rebuilding soil health, cutting emissions and creating real wealth and dignity for the people who grow it.In this episode, we talk about: Why cotton is still the “quiet king” of textiles – beloved by the richest and the poorest, and deeply bound up with power, politics and identity. The difference between conventional, organic and regenerative cotton – and why “regenerative” is as much a process and pathway as an end state. How Biothread uses microbial consortia and field trials to reduce synthetic fertiliser use, improve yields and strengthen soil health in cotton systems. The social realities behind cotton: farmer debt, crop failure, climate volatility and why soil degradation sits at the heart of many of these crises. ACE Cotton’s village‑level model in South Asia – combining solar irrigation, clean household energy and biodiversity projects to support just decarbonisation. How brand decarbonisation targets, farm‑level emissions and smallholder energy access can be aligned so climate action also builds resilience and opportunity. The role of data, measurement and software in proving impact – from input reductions and yield changes to carbon, water and livelihoods metrics. Farmer trust, pilots and “show and tell”: what it takes to introduce new technologies and financing models into communities where risk is already high. Why cotton must be protected as the most widely used natural fibre if we are to avoid a fully synthetic future for fashion. The power of storytelling in shifting cotton from “cheap commodity” to living system – and how Felix and Catherine draw on their own backgrounds to do that work.Pilio Group ACE VillageBioThreadFashion District LondonBooks on the history of cotton explore its role as a global commodity that shaped modern capitalism, industrialisation, and imperialism Empire of Cotton: A Global History : Sven Beckert A History of the Cotton Industry : Anthony Burton Cotton (Textiles that Changed the World) : Beverly LemireConnect with me: LinkedIn I Buy me a CoffeeRecommended listening:Ep 25. Turning Agri Waste to Cellulose FibreEp 14. Farm to FibreCover art: Photo by Siora, Photography on UnsplashMusic: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman
