In this episode of Placecast, host Nicola Headlam is joined by Tamara Cincik, CEO and founder of Fashion Roundtable and founder of the Great British Wool Revival, alongside Alix Coombs, policy researcher and co-author of Fashion Roundtable’s latest work on public procurement and UK manufacturing. Together, they explore how fashion, textiles and manufacturing are often overlooked in policy discussions, despite their importance to local economies, skills development and national resilience. Drawing on research conducted through the Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) fellowship programme, the conversation challenges assumptions about fashion as a niche sector and instead highlights its role as a cornerstone of place-based economic development.
The discussion ranges from the lessons of pandemic-era procurement to the opportunities presented by onshoring textile production, strengthening local supply chains and supporting communities such as Leicester’s manufacturing hub. Tamara Cincik and Alix Coombs make the case that public procurement can be a powerful tool for economic growth, social mobility and industrial renewal, while Nicola Headlam connects these themes to the wider agenda of place leadership and regional development. The result is a fascinating conversation about the links between local economies, global supply chains, sustainability and the policies that can help create more resilient places.
Guest Speakers
Tamara Cincik, Founder & CEO of Fashion Roundtable, LPIP Hub Fellow
Tamara is a UCL graduate and has 20 years of experience working in the fashion industry, as a fashion editor and brand consultant, as well as uniquely working in Parliament. She is the secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Groups for Ethics and Sustainability in Fashion, acting as the bridge between fashion and policy. Tamara is a Fellow of The King’s Foundation advising on their work on regenerative fashion and craft, and also an LPIP Fellow with the University of Birmingham. She is also a Commissioner for the UK Trade and Business Commission, and she was the Professor of Fashion and Sustainability at Bath Spa University. She launched The Great British Wool Revival in partnership with The King’s Foundation in 2024 to revitalise the UK wool and textile industry. She is a frequent public speaker with an annual 4.4bn media reach.
Alix Coombs, Research Consultant
Alix Coombs is an international development and policy professional whose work sits at the intersection of sustainability, human rights, and the creative industries. Having spent much of her career working in Cambodia in food security and nutrition, Alix’s exposure to global supply chains, particularly the impacts of fast fashion, informs her current focus on building more equitable and sustainable systems. Alix now works as a Consultant across research, policy, and partnerships to advance the wellbeing of both people and the planet.
Host
Dr Nicola Headlam
Nicola Headlam has over 20 years of experience working across all aspects of the multi-helix innovation system, including central and local government, civil society and campaigning, academic research and knowledge mobilisation, and industry. Along the way, she has honed her expertise in urban and regional subnational economic development, the roles of government in shaping place, and in utilising data and evidence for transformation.
In 2024, she became a freelance economic advisor on the role of leadership and partnerships, urban and living lab forms for research, the future of cities and foresighting methods, urban transformations, place-branding and urban regeneration and the spatial consequences of public policy.
View Nicola’s LinkedIn Profile
Transcript
Show notes
Initiatives and Projects
- Great British Wool Revival
- King’s Foundation
- Apparel and Textile Manufacturers Federation (ATMF)
- Make it British
Policy and Research
Further Reading
- The Berry Amendment (US domestic sourcing requirements for defence procurement)
- Australian Fashion Council
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Textiles in Europe
People Mentioned
Find out more about the Local Policy Innovation Partnership Hub.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this analysis post are those of the author and not necessarily those of City-REDI or the University of Birmingham.
Generative AI was used to generate parts of the blog using the transcript from the podcast.