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

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 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 I Regeneration VC 🎧 Recommended Listening: Ep 14. Farm to Fibre Ep 15. Brewing Beer for Bio Leather Ep 2. From Garden Waste to Leather Ep 16. Catalyst Shaping the Future of Sustainable and Ethical Fashion Connect with me Mili Tharakan: Linkedin I Insta I Buy me a coffee I Email ❤️ Subscribe and leave a review, I love to hear your feedback Cover art: Photo by Siora, Photography on Unsplash Music: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman