Dilys Williams

Prof Dilys Williams is a Professor of Fashion Design for Sustainability at the London College of Fashion, part of the University of the Arts London. She leads the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, established in 2008, which focuses on integrating ecological boundaries and human equity into fashion design, education, and policy. Her research bridges industry, academia, and politics, with funded projects like FashionSEEDS (Erasmus+) and Fostering Sustainable Practices (AHRC). Williams advises the House of Lords on fashion ethics and has been recognized in the Evening Standard’s Progress 1000 list (2015–2017) and awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize (2024).

Education: BA(Hons) Fashion Design Studies from Manchester Metropolitan University (1987), and holds a UAL professorship. Professional roles include Special Advisor to the House of Lords All Party Parliamentary Group on Fashion, Sustainability and Ethics, and advisory roles with Textile Exchange and the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre.

Research interests emphasize sustainable fashion systems, participatory design, and transformation design. Recent projects include Climate Systems Mapping at UAL and cross-EU initiatives like FashionSEEDS. Her work often addresses greenwashing, circular economy practices, and policy advocacy. Over 30 grants and collaborations span industries like ASOS, Kering, and the V&A Museum.

• Key Awards: Drapers’ Sustainable Fashion Champion (2020), Queen’s Anniversary Prize (2024)
• Grants: AHRC, Erasmus+, Creative Industries Cluster Programme
• Public Engagement: BBC interviews, MOTH Festival of Ideas, Global Fashion Summit

Labs/Teams: Director of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, collaborating internationally on projects like Fashion Values and Fostering Sustainable Practices. Ongoing work includes exploring future fashion scenarios and policy frameworks for micro-enterprises.