Society seeks partners from around the globe

The Society of Dyers and Colourists, which is based in Bradford and which has 2,000 members in this country and abroad, wants to expand its reach after working with retailers like H&M and Asda's George label.

Susie Hargreaves, chief executive, told the Yorkshire Post that the move would enhance the reputation of clothing chains as well as boosting the SDC, which has been affected by the decline in the region's textile industry over the last 30 to 40 years.

"We want to expand our number of corporate partners. That is really important to me. By having them in corporate membership, it opens the door to doing a lot of work for them – and it is credibility for them."

The SDC, which has a wholly-owned trading company and turns over just under 3m a year, has several income streams, from consultancy, membership fees, training, events and publications, but wants to diversify this further.

Corporate members, which currently include textile dyes and pigment firm DyStar, chemicals company Clariant, and Ikea, can go into colleges with SDC staff and also have a chance to present at seminars and international events in which the society takes part.

The centre of the textiles world has moved to the Far East, however, and although there are now 79,000 people working in fashion and textiles in Britain, compared with around 800,000 in the industry's heyday, it has created an opportunity for the organisation to form international partnerships.

More recently, the SDC, which is self-financing, has had to cope with the economic downturn, but it has picked up more interest from around the world.

"Profits have gone down as the industry has changed. The textile industry, like everybody else, has been in recession," Mrs Hargreaves said.

"Our membership in the UK is dwindling and it is growing abroad. That is something we have to balance."

The SDC also expects to boost its income through sources such as Planet Textiles, its partnership with Ecotextile News and Messe Frankfurt, which is designed to improve the environmental and social impact of the international textile and clothing supply chain.

The first Planet Textiles event, held in Hong Kong, attracted brands such as Patagonia, adidas, Nike and Sears and major textile mills such as Pacific Textiles, HK nonwovens and Fountain Set. Now the event is to be held annually alongside Messe Frankfurt trade shows.

The society also wants to get more young people to consider a career in textiles and plans to do more work in schools.

Mrs Hargreaves said the industry could be "colourful and vibrant" but there was a gap between technical textiles and design. More fashion students could join the industry, she added.

Mrs Hargreaves highlighted the "phenomenal importance" of Leeds University to the industry in this region.

It has a colour science department, which is highly regarded for its knowledge of chemistry, physics and technologies linked to colorants, polymers, colour and imaging.

n A leading industry figure and expert on rare wool fibre escorial is to give a talk tonight at Bradford Textile Society.

Peter Ackroyd, director of the British Escorial Guild and head of British Textiles, part of UK Fashion and Textile Association, will appear at the Bradford Club, Piece Hall Yard.

He replaces Peter and Olivia Radford, of Escorial, who cannot give their talk because of an unavoidable change in their travel plans from New Zealand.

The presentation is free to everyone, including those who are not members of Bradford Textile Society. The buffet and bar opens at 5.45pm and the lecture is at 6.30pm. Partners are welcome.

SUSIE HARGREAVES

Susie Hargreaves became chief executive of the Society of Dyers and Colourists in October 2008, having spent 20 years in the cultural sector.

Previously, she ran her own consultancy firm specialising in business development, events, marketing and membership for the charity and not-for-profit sector.

Mrs Hargreaves, who is is married to theatre director Marcus Romer, has also worked as a manager of theatre companies and venues and for seven years was chief executive of Audiences Yorkshire, the UK's largest cultural marketing agency.

In 2001, Mrs Hargreaves was chosen to represent the UK as a cultural marketing expert for a Masterclass tour of New Zealand.

Three years later, she was runner-up in the European Women of Achievement Awards after setting up the membership organisation, Audiences Europe Network.

She lives in York with her husband and their children.