Rebecca Van Amber

Dr. Rebecca Van Amber is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Fashion and Textiles at RMIT University, specializing in textile sustainability and circular economy initiatives. She leads the Bachelor of Fashion and Textiles (Sustainable Innovation) program, designed to address climate change and unethical practices in the fashion industry. Her research focuses on material innovation, waste reduction, and functional textiles for health and outdoor applications.

Education: PhD and MSc in Clothing and Textile Sciences from the University of Otago, New Zealand, with extensive research on sock fabrics and protein fibers (silk/wool).

Industry Experience: 7+ years in fashion technical design (US) and operations management (New Zealand).

Key Achievements: 2017 H&M Foundation Global Change Award winner for denim waste innovation and 2023 Sustainability Victoria grant recipient. Media engagements include ABC News, The Guardian, and 360info.org on topics like sustainable fabrics and greenwashing.

Supervision: Current PhD students focus on Bangladesh's textile waste, unreal fur sustainability, and biodiversity in supply chains. Completed projects include textile urban metabolism and material-emotion categorization.