EFWA 2026 - SEMINAR
THREADS OF CHANGE
SEMINAR INFO & LIST OF PRESENTERS TO BE ANNOUNCED.
Professor Ayu Wahyuningsih - Tadulako University, Palu, Indonesia
Prof. Ayu Wahyuningsih is a Professor of Marketing and currently serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business at Tadulako University, Indonesia. She earned her PhD from Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, and her Master’s degree from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Her academic and professional interests focus on community economic empowerment, particularly strengthening local economies, local heritage, and community-based enterprises to access and compete in global markets. She has been actively involved as a keynote speaker and invited speaker at various national and international conferences and has published extensively in international journals and academic books. Through her research, academic leadership, and community engagement, she is committed to bridging local potential with global opportunities and promoting inclusive, sustainable, and globally connected economic development.
Carol Hanlon
Carol Hanlon has over 55 years experience in the Australian and Global Fashion, textile manufacturing industries across many business sectors, design, innovation, manufacturing, supply chains, sustainability, and business skills development.
Carol Hanlon established her own fashion label in 1974 ‘Carol Hanlon’ in Victoria and successfully designed and manufactured, wholesaled and retailed her label for nearly 20 years. Carol’s label was stocked by hundreds of boutiques across Australia and overseas and featured in leading global fashion magazines.
After relocating to Perth, Western Australia, Carol established not-for-profit industry associations - the 'Belmont Business Enterprise Centre Inc. ('BBEC) in 1994 assisting small businesses to start and grow their business and founded in 1998, the 'Textile Clothing Footwear Resource Centre of Western Australia Inc'. (TCFWA) a not-for- profit association. TCFWA's goal was to assist new and existing designers and TF manufacturers to grow and develop their business and has since expanded to also establish TCF Australia & TC Global.
Anne Farren - Academic Advisor, Curtin University
Dr Anne Farren is a maker, educator, curator and researcher in the fields of fashion design, and textiles. She originally trained as an arts educator with textiles as a major area of study with experience gained in spinning, weaving, print and dye providing the foundations of her practice and career in the arts.
In her practice as maker, educator, curator and researcher she is driven by a passion for design innovation and the craft of making, with both traditional and new technologies applied to the enhancement of the hand-made. Since the 1990s she has been engaged in collaborations with colleagues in Australia, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, and China, working on projects designed to support the development of local connection with a global community of practice focussed on the significance of cultural preservation to sustainability.
In her role as an academic at Curtin University, Dr Farren led the introduction of fashion studies at Curtin University and coordinated the course for over 20 years. She introduced studies in sustainable fashion, led a Western Australian team in the writing and launch of 'The State of Fashion & Textile Circularity in WA' Report and initiated the research project 'Closing the Loop on Textile Waste Locally'.
Anne draws on a lifetime of knowledge gained from living in regional, urban and city environments, working with community and engagement in making over the past 50 years, that have provided her with experience of fibre harvesting, in yarn making, weaving, knitting, dyeing, sewing and object construction. She brings to projects her journey as a maker, teacher, academic, researcher, facilitator, collaborator and mentor.
