In September 2022 the Association of Fashion and Textiles Courses (FTC) hosted the Futurescan 5 conference at the University of Leeds with the theme of ‘Conscious Communities’
The conference kicked off with a lively keynote from Avis Charles, a fashion and educational consultant and graduate of the London College of Fashion (UAL). She began her career as an apprentice at the couture house of Susan Small, Norman Hartnell, and Hardy Amies, whose clients included the British Royal Family and other prominent personalities from around the world.
The establishment of the Avis Charles Associates (ACA), a strategic fashion consultancy specialising in creative direction and product development, is the result of almost forty-five years of continuous development in a constantly evolving fashion industry. The ACA has established educational, vocational and training programmes in Africa and the Caribbean. The Africa Fashion International (AFIbiannual)'s fashion weeks are one of the most successful fashion week and designer development events on the African continent, which led to the formulation of the company's strategy.
Avis's interest in traditional crafts, cultural heritage and her extensive network of contacts have allowed her to develop projects for the IFC/World Bank, the British Council and the International Trade Centre (ITC), as well as consult with international academic institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and global brands on sustainability. These projects have honoured female artisanal talent in Peru, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Mongolia, Ethiopia and India, to name a few, by guiding women to their full economic potential through mentoring.