Matthew Drinkwater

Fee Band


Working at the cutting-edge of fashion, technology and retail, Matthew demonstrates how the fashion industry is being changed in every facet of its operation from manufacture and supply chain to retail and design. From what clothes can do (monitoring your activities, charging your phone) to how VR could replace high street shop to how robots could replace craftspeople, he finds important lessons for any industry in collaboration, disruption and future strategy.


Biography

Matthew Drinkwater is Head of the Fashion Innovation Agency (FIA) at the London College of Fashion. His work brings together diverse industries to create a vision of the future that incorporates wearable technologies, AR, VR, robotics, IoT, AI, materials technology and a host of cutting-edge developments. It also covers areas of design, manufacture, retail and supply that have parallels in a host of sectors, and looks at how a traditional industry adapts to disruption.

Coming from a career on the frontline of fashion and retail, Matthew has worked for brands including Harrods and Casio. He joined the College of Fashion to lead research, teaching and industry partnerships at the intersection of fashion, retail and technology.

The college, one of the leading fashion training institutions in the world, is now leading the way in the growing business of fashiontech. Whilst preparing the future generation of designers, buyers and brand and retail bosses, Matthew and his team have built innovative, showcase projects. Projects like the world’s first digital skirt for Nokia, a working, 3D-printed bionic arm for a Star Wars event, and what Forbes magazine described as 'the first example of truly beautiful wearable tech' for Disney.

Whilst examining the creative impact of technology, Matthew also considers the wider effects. He considers how traditional businesses can embrace innovation, new supply chains and new financial models. He looks at the effects of new materials and manufacturing processes (including manufacturing locally and on demand) as well as potentially huge shifts in retail. As wearable technology becomes more integrated with everyday clothing, he asks what are the implications for businesses who use the data provided, and their customers?

Matthew draws parallels with other sectors and looks at the lessons in disruption and collaboration. Using an industry that everyone one can relate to (everyone that’s ever bought or worn clothes) he asks if fashion can explore the worlds of VR and AR in retail and design, nanotechnology and robotics in manufacturing, and even Blockchain in supply logistics, what can others do? He considers an industry which, despite appearing youth-driven and innovative, is in fact deeply traditional and slow to change. There are vital lessons for how businesses can believe themselves prepared for or immune to the dramatic changes ahead; lessons he’s shared with industries including banking, automotive and engineering.

Matthew was named in the 100 most influential people in the world of Wearable Technology, amongst the Top 15 people in UK tech by BBC3, and as a 'fashion-tech trailblazer changing the course of retail' by Drapers magazine.

© Copyright 2024 JLA. All rights reserved.

Contact

We’re on hand to help you find the perfect speaker, presenter or performer for your events. Call or email our London office and use our agents' experience to expertly match you with the right person for your programme!


From time to time we send out emails announcing new speakers and free tickets to our showcase events including Speakers Breakfasts and the JLA Real Variety Show. Please tick the box below if you would like to receive these emails.

Don't miss anything!

We will never share the data you submit here with a third party. Information is stored in a database in order to service your enquiry, but is deleted once it is no longer required. You may request to have this data removed at any time.

JLA Presents


Event - 30/04/2024 - 9:00 am

Speakers Breakfast

Understanding AI Now

Speakers
Priya Lakhani, Anne-Marie Imafidon, and Neil Lawrence

Please join us in our JLab studio near Oxford Circus at 08:30am on Tuesday 30th April for our next speaker’s breakfast event. Following our sell-out event for IWD back in February, we will be joined by three fantastic speakers for an exploration of the uses, myths and concerns surrounding AI.

Location

JLA, 14 Berners Street, London

WATCH

Event - 06/02/2024 - 9:00 am

Speakers Breakfast

Looking Ahead to International Women’s Day

Speakers
Samira Ahmed, Eniola Aluko, Julia Gillard, and Alex Mahon

We were joined by four fantastic speakers to look ahead at International Women’s Day. With the theme of this year’s event being #InspireInclusion, we were lucky enough to hear from four women who have each blazed a trail in their respective fields: CEO of Channel 4, Alex Mahon; the former Australian Prime Minister and Chair of Kings’ Global Institute of Women’s Leadership, Julia Gillard; one of the leading voices in football, Eniola Aluko MBE; and broadcaster and journalist, Samira Ahmed.

Location

Bishopsgate Institute, London

WATCH