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Mrs Sue Rainton

Mrs Sue Rainton

Profile

I joined the Future Fashion Factory in January 2019 bringing a wealth of project / programme management experience to the team. I have worked variously within Local Government, Regional Agencies, the Higher Education Sector and SMEs, this background has provided me with a broad understanding of the needs and drives of industry partners and collaborators. In November 2021,I was appointed Associate Director for LITAC, managing the operational activity for the exciting new Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour, of which Future Fashion Factory forms a central pillar representing Fashion@LITAC. 

I have worked within the Creative Industries since 1991 when I joined the Scunthorpe (now North Lincolnshire) Museum service, firstly as Natural Science Assistant but progressing to also work with Archaeological and Social Science collections. I qualified as a Curator in 1994 with a significant portion of my practical training being carried out within the regionally significant costume collection based at Normanby Hall. Other local government appointments included management of Ayscoughee Hall Museum & Geest Art Gallery and as Head of Tourism for North East Lincolnshire Council leading a team with responsibility for resort management and events. Having been involved in development of large-scale funding applications since 2002, I have a strong research interest in the effectiveness of funding interventions and funding mechanisms. I have been an assessor for the European Commission since 2017 and currently work on the EIC programme. 

Responsibilities

  • Operational responsibility for the Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour
  • Programme Manager, Future Fashion Factory

Research interests

Almond K, Rainton S. 2025. Future fashion factory: developing an ecosystem to support sustainable change. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education.  

Almond K, Rainton S. 2025. Future Fashion Factory: Developing an Ecosystem to Support Sustainable Change. The International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education.