Inspiring the next generation

On Thursday, February 13, Epson celebrated the opening of its new Innovation Centre in Lutterworth with the launch of its first ever Textile Academy. P&P editor, Melanie Attlesey, was invited to take a look.

As a global technology firm, Epson sees inspiring the next generation of textile printers and educating them on the challenges and environmental implications of printing in fashion as its mission. Taking this into account, the firm invited around 20 textile design students from nearby Nottingham Trent University to attend a special, one-day workshop. They were treated to a series of presentations from leading experts in the world of textiles and had the opportunity to print their own designs onto a range of substrates using Epson’s print solutions.

One of the experts addressing the students was April Holyome, head of product at 16Arlington. She shared her experiences about progressing her career from a degree in Textile Design from the University of the Arts London to building experience working with leading brands Burberry, Cath Kidson, and PANGAIA. Speaking afterwards she said: “Today was a great chance to connect with students that are about to embark on their professional journey. I was so pleased that I could share my own experiences to help other students make the most out of their textile design degrees in the fashion world.”

The students also heard from Epson UK’s corporate sustainability manager, Taranpreet Rai, who talked about the environmental implications of printing in fashion and Epson’s leading role in co-creating sustainability with its efficient, compact and precise digital technologies. I caught up with her during the day to find out why it’s important to inspire the next generation. She said: “The whole point of the day was to show the students there is a career path for them in digital textile printing. For so long the message has been ‘the print industry is dying’ and we are here to show that this is not the case. My role is to help to them to understand that if they want to start their own business or just be in a corporate environment there are going to have to be things to consider along the way and sustainability is one thing they will have to ingrain at every step of the way.”

I had the opportunity to speak to one of the students to find out what she had found most enlightening about attending the Textile Academy. Third year student, Charlotte Oliver, said: “I found attending the academy incredibly useful. It’s not every day you get to see these huge industry-standard printers and getting to experience what they are capable of is definitely exciting. I’ve learnt a lot from the experts and I think it was really generous of Epson to invite us. In a year’s time we won’t be students anymore and Epson has given us a real opportunity to learn more about the industry.”

Oliver Mustoe-Playfair, owner of Prinfab, led a business showcase for the students where he shared details of how digital textile printing has elevated his business. He provided advice for building a business in the textile printing industry, and students were able to ask him plenty of questions as they plan for their future outside of university. I spoke with him afterwards to find out why he decided to get involved with the Textile Academy, to which he said: “The people entering the industry over the next few years have very different needs and wants to my generation and it’s important that we acknowledge that and help them where we can. That’s the future right there.”

The attending media was tasked with selecting a winning design created by the students, based on greatest creativity, colour and impact. Katy Harvey’s intricate print of flowers and birds received the most votes. She was awarded a SureColor F100 dye sublimation printer as a prize. She said: “It was really great to see how my designs could work across such a wide range of items. Winning the competition for best design was really flattering, and I look forward to trying out my new printer at home.”

The Innovation Centre is now officially open for business! A rather impressive-looking showroom showcasing the vast majority of Epson’s printing solutions and their relevant applications is definitely worth a visit. Students and the media were given a tour around the showroom and introduced to the broad range, which consists of direct to garment printers, direct to film printers and dye sublimation printers. Epson takes its role very seriously when it comes to inspiring great futures and shaping tomorrow’s textile and design industry, and this is evident in its investment in the Innovation Centre and the Textile Academy.