Gabrielle Miller Safwat
A rare and highly sought-after researcher, educator and consultant, Gabrielle drives cutting-edge innovation in fashion business and education. With exceptional expertise in pedagogical innovation and digital transformation, she has published groundbreaking research on defining fashion-tech as an emerging discipline [1].
She co-developed an award-winning edtech Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) for the University of the Arts London, by embracing technology and e-learning in higher education. The reach and impact for the duration of the course is truly impressive, reaching 90,037 learners in total from 144 countries (2018-2025).
Her tenure as designer at prestigious fashion houses including Alexander McQueen and Givenchy, combined with over a decade teaching design innovation at London College of Fashion and research at University of the Arts London, positions her uniquely at the intersection of industry and academia. She disrupts traditional paradigms through technological advancement and forward-thinking pedagogical approaches.
Gabrielle provides strategic creative direction to global industry partners and institutions, pioneering collaborative frameworks that integrate emerging technologies into fashion practice and curriculum development. Her transformative education models foster creativity and excellence, driving industry evolution through innovative teaching methods, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and strategic partnerships between academia and the fashion sector.
Kestrel Jenkins McGill
An internationally trained journalist and podcasting trailblazer, Kestrel has over 17 years of working in storytelling, public speaking, writing, communication and digital media, and is a globally recognized voice in the fashion and technology space.
She pushes the limits of storytelling, and leaned into podcasting before it became a cultural phenomenon. Her podcast, Conscious Chatter, was the first to cover the depth and breadth of the international fashion industry, and was featured on Apple Podcasts, and has been downloaded over 1 million times with listeners across 115+ countries. She has hosted powerful interviews with key stakeholders, exploring how products, practices, and policy can accelerate innovation in fashion for good.
Kestrel conducts exceptional research in the creation of knowledge, and holds deep expertise and understanding on this ever-shifting landscape by collecting qualitative data that is focused on unpacking the complexities within the fashion and textiles sector.
Kestrel has spoken and chaired conferences, talks and events, and her strong communication skills have contributed to her delivering consistent thought leadership. She writes articles for global publications, is quoted in leading fashion media, and her podcasts are on reading lists and integrated into curriculum at highly regarded international academic universities.
She brings extensive experience in digital and social media, and keeps pace with state-of-the-art communication tools to apply innovation in the fashion and technology sector.