Dr Alana James is an Associate Professor in Fashion at Northumbria University and has specialised in the field of sustainable innovation for over a decade. Her expertise lies in the use of design tools, methods and approaches to develop sustainable interventions within the fashion and textile value chain. Alana applies her design knowledge and expertise to addressing complex global sustainability challenges through innovative and creative problem solving and strategic thinking.

Through her work she collaborates with multiple disciplines (environemntal science, forensic science) and a breadth of stakeholders (textile and garment manufacturers, brands and retailers, the charity retail sector, policy makers and citizens) across the fashion and textile sector to collegiately respond to complex environmental and social challenges.

Alana brings this experience to her role as Director for the IMPACT+ Network, where she was awarded £3.1 million as Principal Investigator in 2023. This interdisciplinary research team works across disciplinary boundaries with design, environmental science and forensic science collectively coming together to tackle complex, global sustainability issues. The Network challenges the way that environmental impact in the fashion industry is measured, addressing inaccurate and misleading data which is currently directing policy, funding and action. Within the network, her priorities are to bridge disciplinary knowledge and develop transparent and inclusive relationships with integral project partners.

Alana’s contribution to the discourse globally has been acknowledged through two international appointments including as a Visiting Professor at BINUS University in Indonesia, where she has been delivering the Dual Award Programme in Global Design Management forthe past 6 years. Her passion for transnational education has most recently been recognised by Kamalia University in Pakistan, where she holds the position of Adjunct Professor, reflecting on-going research collaborations with academia and industry within Pakistan.