All Writers: List

Lovise Aalen is Research Director (PhD, Political Science) at Chr. Michelsen Institute. She has been working on the Horn of Africa for the last 17 years, where her research (including several long-term fieldworks) has focused on governance in multi-ethnic states coming out of civil war. She has studied democratisation processes, elections and ethnic federalism in Ethiopia and the power sharing deal between Sudan and South Sudan after 2005. Through her PhD, she has also addressed the gender and minority rights aspects of the Ethiopian ethnic-based federalism, including the rights of women and sub-ethnic minorities. More recently, she has explored the emergence of female manufacturing jobs for women in Ethiopia, and what kind of impact that has on the status of women at home and in society in the project ‘Women in the developmental state: female employment and empowerment in Ethiopia’.

The Founder of Ballia-based Syaahi Uniforms, Abrar Ahmed is a self-taught fashion design professional and accomplished social entrepreneur with a passion for sustainability and a keen eye for design. In spite of being a school dropout, his passion for fashion, design & business drove him to gain first-hand experience from the market and industry. 

By working extensively in the market, collaborating with industry professionals, and constantly learning from practical experiences, he believes he has acquired a comprehensive understanding of the fashion industry's intricacies. His strategic business relationships with corporate houses, promoters, and government entities have enabled him to make a significant impact in the industry.

Italy-born American denim fanatic, Stefano Aldighieri started his adventure in the 'blue world' back in old Europe. One of the best Italian denim mills was his first introduction to denim. After a few years in the UK, heading a division for one of the largest textile/apparel/retail groups in the country, the call of denim and jeans brought him to Canada first and then to sunny California where he is still based today. 

He has worked as Design Director at Levi Strauss & Co in San Francisco, Creative Director at 7 for All Mankind, CEO and Co-Founder of Tuff Gong Clothing, Creative Director at Hudson Jeans and finally Founder of Another Design Studio, where he and a team of like-minded individuals have the opportunity to work with several textile, apparel, retail operations and brands on a global basis. 

Stefano is actively involved in sustainability causes, amd also gives talks to audiences worldwide on topics that vary from sustainable initiatives and history of denim to branding and marketing.

Cem Altan studied Textile Engineering at Nottingham Trent University between 1977 and 1983. After getting a Graduate degree from university, he started working for retail groups of Benetton in the UK and Beymen in Istanbul. After all those years gaining experiences, Altan started his own business as foreign trading company selling Turkish garments to the UK's market and marketing Turkish garment internationally. He has been the founder and chairman of Aycem Textile since 1991. He is a board member of Istanbul Apparel Exporters' Association, Turkish Clothing Manufacturer's Association, President of the International Apparel Federation (IAF) and President of Istanbul Fashion Week Committee.

Dr Rebecca Van Amber is currently a Senior Lecturer in the school of Fashion and Textiles at RMIT University, and the programme manager of the Bachelor of Fashion & Textiles (Sustainable Innovation). She is an expert in sustainability and circular economy, textile and apparel research and development, and textile properties.

Tuan Anh To is currently working at ecotoxicogenomic and eDNA laboratory at INRS-ETE at Québec. His focus is developing and optimizing of analysis techniques for analyzing the impact of different contaminants on the detoxification system of aquatic species.

Ravi Anupindi is Colonel William G. and Ann C. Svetlich Professor of Operations Research and Management at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business; Chair of (UM) President’s Advisory Committee on Labor Standards and Human Rights (2013-); (founding) Faculty Director of the Center for Value Chain Innovation (2017-2020); co-Director of the Technology and Business Innovation Forum (2015-18) and (founding) Faculty Director for the Master of Supply Chain Management Program (2008-2015). Previously he taught at the Stern School of Business, New York University (2000-2002) and the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University (1993-2000). His expertise areas include technology and business innovation, global supply chain management, health care delivery in low and middle-income countries, economic development, and environmental & social sustainability. He is co-author of Managing Business Process Flows (3rd Edition), Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2011.

Gurudas Aras, Independent Director and Strategic Advisor, is a Ministry of Corporate Affairs certified Independent Director and CRISIL Certified ESG Risk Analyst.

After retiring in March 2021 as Director-Textile Engineering group from A.T.E. group where he was instrumental, over the course of four decades, in bringing many leading European textile machinery manufacturers to the company’s fold.

He is now an Independent Director on the board of directors of Rossari Biotech Ltd, Indian Card Clothing Ltd, Ruby Mills Ltd, Unitop Chemicals Ltd, Tristar Intermediates Ltd and Romakk Chemicals Ltd. He is also India Advisor to two German companies, ITA Technologietransfer GmbH and APS GmbH, and Strategic Advisor to Yamuna Machine Works and Rabatex Industries.

He is a recipient of the 'Service Gold Medal', the highest service award from The Textile Association (India), for his contribution to the Indian textile and machinery industry. 

Bill D’Arienzo is the Founder of WDA Strategic Brand Marketing and serves as US strategy advisor for the #1 thinktank in Italy and in the top 100 of over 6,000 global firms. As an experienced fashion executive and marketing specialist, he has served as an expert witness in trademark infringement cases, having written reports for brands such as Adidas, Gucci and others in support of their brand trademarks and market identities. 

Bill is also the ESG branding advisor for Truuli Environmental, Inc. and its decarbonisation platform. He is also the author of Brand Management Strategies: Luxury & Mass Markets.

RICHA BANSAL has more than 30 years of media industry experience, of which the last 20 years have been with leading fashion magazines in both B2B and B2C domains. Her most recent position was at the helm of editoral affairs at Fibre2Fashion, one of India’s leading B2B media conglomerates, which has a prominent presence across magazines, events and websites. 

Richa has worked at the head of a slew of premium B2B magazines, including Images Business of Fashion, Shoes & Accessories India and the iconic Sportswear International, of which she was the Launch Editor. This was preceded by prolific work with newspapers, wire services and news portals, including Indiatimes.com, India Abroad News Service (IANS), Press Trust of India (PTI) and the Sentinel.