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·¡³¾²¹¾±±ô:Ìýv.conrad@unsw.edu.au

³§³Ü±è±ð°ù±¹¾±²õ´Ç°ù²õ:ÌýDaniel Robinson, Alison Gwilt

Vanessa Conrad is a practice-based designer, social entrepreneur, and researcher specialising in ethical and sustainable (E&S) fashion. Self-described as a ‘practivist,’ her work bridges academia and industry, drawing on over a decade of experience in global garment production across Europe, China, India, Nepal, and Australia.

Vanessa holds a Bachelor of Design, a Master in Luxury Brand Management from Istituto Marangoni in Milan, and a Master of Philosophy from ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ, where she investigated the value chain of hemp for textiles, mapping its production from cultivation to consumption. She has mentored emerging designers, delivered guest lectures, and presented her research at academic conferences.

Her doctoral research examines the realities of local fashion production in Australia, challenging the romanticised notion of reshoring manufacturing. Using ethnographic fieldwork and participatory action research, she documents the last remnants of the ‘Made in Australia’ label and the people striving to keep it alive. As the founder of a small E&S fashion label and a collective E&S store, Vanessa integrates lived experience with academic inquiry, advocating for informed policy and regulatory changes to support a more transparent, equitable, and sustainable fashion industry in the face of the climate crisis.