Westminster

In October 2026, I had the opportunity to present my paper, The Workforce Did Not Become Better or Worse. It Became Different: Fashion Education and the Preservation of Manufacturing Knowledge, at the What Is Fashion? 2 Conferenceat the University of Westminster in London.

My presentation addressed a critical challenge facing the fashion industry: as manufacturing practices evolve and experienced professionals retire, how do we preserve and transfer the practical knowledge that keeps manufacturing moving forward?

Drawing on decades of industry experience and my work in fashion education, I explored the importance of connecting technological innovation with the human knowledge, judgment, and experience that remain essential to successful manufacturing.

The photographs below capture a meaningful professional milestone and reflect a central focus of my consulting work: preserving manufacturing knowledge while preparing for the industry's future.

My perspective draws on more than thirty years of experience in apparel manufacturing, sourcing, quality systems, product development, and supply chain operations, as well as my work as an adjunct professor in the Production Management Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and principal consultant of Joseph Altieri Consulting.

Through my teaching, consulting, and writing, I focus on workforce development, manufacturing education, domestic production systems, and preserving the technical knowledge essential to the future of fashion manufacturing.

Welcome to What is Fashion 2. Dr. Hanna Rumball - Croft, Senior Lecturer, UG and PG Fashion Courses

An interesting dive into Alexander McQueen

An immersive look at fashion across decades.

With Professor Caroline Curtis – Assistant Head of School, Westminster School of Arts. Analyzing a military style jacket, from the 70's, created by a now defunct company.

"The workforce did not become better or worse. It became different."

"Manufacturing knowledge is more than information. It is judgment developed through experience.

A PhD dissertation on how the "voice" of women has changed over the decades. Sewing circles were once the only place that their voices could be heard and recognized as having value. And then, only by the other women in the circle.

Student creation

A piece from one of the last lines created by Christopher Bailey.

As I reflect on my presentation at the University of Westminster, one message remains central to my work and to the future of fashion manufacturing:

AI is a tool to be mastered, not a power to be mastered by. But mastering any tool requires the knowledge to apply it properly, understand its capabilities, and recognize its limitations.

As the industry embraces new technologies, we must preserve the human and generational knowledge built through experience, practice, and mentorship. Innovation should build upon that foundation, not replace it.

The future of fashion manufacturing depends on bringing technology and human expertise together—and ensuring that the knowledge of one generation is not lost to the next.

My sincere thanks to the conference organizers and the University of Westminster staff for their efforts in making the What Is Fashion? 2 Conference a valuable opportunity for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and professional exchange.