DigiFashion Forum

Leslie is the Co-founder of The Digital Fashion Group. Founded in 2020, TDFG is a European-led collaboration between Fashion Academics and Industry Innovators. Working with industry leaders TDFG equips fashion education, professionals and brands with the relevant skills, mindset and strategies for tomorrow’s workplace. Previously, as Head of Fashion at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI) and a member of the AMFI board for over 14 years, Leslie was responsible for the redevelopment of the international curricula focussing on digitalisation and sustainability in fashion.

And as design director and entrepreneur with over 20 years’ experience in the fashion industry Leslie worked for such companies as Dunhill, Stefanel, Byblos, Burberry and Liberty. Leslie sits on the Steering Committee of The EU Worth Partnership Project. He was for many years an Executive Board member of the International Foundation of Fashion Technology Institutes (IFFTI), and a trustee of The UK Graduate Fashion Foundation. Leslie is an experienced keynote speaker and moderator and recently nominated by Brytehall as in the top 100 of the most influential leaders in digital fashion.

Sean is a graduate of St. Martin’s School of Art and a co-founder at the groundbreaking online education, The Digital Fashion Group. As Head of Northumbria University School of Design London, Sean was responsible for a unique Master Qualification Programme Framework for Fashion and the Creative Industries, and the Degree level fashion programmes. He is an academic strategist experienced in innovative programme conceptualisation, validation and delivery, an experienced lecturer, visiting professor, and External Examiner for MA and BA programmes around the world.

As a divisional board member of Coats Viyella PLC, he set up and directed the first contemporary, computerised, brand design studio in India. He consults on executive and designer recruitment to deliver creative excellence and collections for studios around the world. For the Royal Society Arts Student Design Awards, he introduced the Fashion Promotions Section to represent changes in fashion education delivery, serving as a fashion judge for 13 years, for 7 years was a Fashion & Marketing judge for Graduate Fashion Week in London.

Ching has 20+ years experiences in fashion and technology media, beauty brands and tech startups. Through times, she has witnessed digital transformation challenges in the traditional media and the fashion industry. Ching has a passion for identifying future trends, uncovering new ventures and building networks and communities in sustainable fashion and its digitalized value chain.

She founded DigiFashion Forum in order to connect with the stakeholders, togather, to support fashion education, businesses and designers, as well as to foster a positive impact and find solutions to some of the most complex social and environmental challenges in the fashion industry.

Ching avocates sustainable and circular economy. She is also an innovation catalyst in SaaS, AI/ML, fashion tech, Web3 and the emerging technologies.

Alvin Wang Graylin is a recognized technology pioneer, entrepreneur, executive, and thought leader with 30+ years of experience delivering innovative products in the AI, XR and semiconductor industries. He is the co-author of Our Next Reality: How the AI-powered Metaverse will Reshape the World, published by Hachette Book Group. Having built his foundation in VR research at the Human Interface Technology Lab over 30 years ago, Alvin has also developed his expertise in AI and Natural Language Processing after extensive studies at the University of Washington and MIT. In his recent professional journey, Alvin served as the China President of HTC (2016-2023) and continues to contribute as Global VP of Corporate Development at HTC, a global leader in the VR/AR space. His commitment to the immersive computing field is further reflected in his roles as Vice-Chairman of the Industry of Virtual Reality Alliance (IVRA), President of the Virtual Reality Venture Capital Alliance (VRVCA), and co-head of the ViveX VR Accelerator.

Alvin's entrepreneurial spirit is evidenced by his founding of four venture-backed startups in areas ranging from AI-based natural language search, mobile social to big-data AI analytics, across China and the US. His broad operational experience also includes global P&L roles at multinational corporations like Intel, Trend Micro, WatchGuard Technologies, and IBM.

Alvin holds an M.S. in Computer Science from MIT, where he specialized in AI, and an M.S. in Business from MIT's Sloan School of Management on the entrepreneurship and operations track. He also earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington, focused on VR, AI, and CPU architecture. He was born in China during the Cultural Revolution and emigrated to the U.S. in 1980 as the country's reform period started. Alvin has recently relocated back to the U.S. after almost 20 years working/living in China during its internet/mobile boom and is currently based in Seattle, Washington.

Elly has over 20 years of experience in the fashion industry, with a focus on digital product creation, 3D solutions, and technical design. As the Director of Digital Product Creation at Makalot, she is leading the implementation and adoption of 3D technologies for our clients, including Walmart, HanesBrands, Gap, and Target.

She also consults at Portal:M, a platform that connects startups with industry experts and mentors, where she provides guidances and feedback on 3D fashion design and innovation. Her goal is to catalyze the digital transformation and sustainability of the fashion industry, by leveraging 3D tools and techniques to enhance efficiency, quality, and creativity.

Dr. Chen is recognized for his contributions to the metaverse, generative AI, and IoT, earning national awards from the Department of Digital Development, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and the Ministry of Culture Taiwan. He is the author of specialized books 'Global Perspectives in the Metaverse' and 'Global Perspectives in FinTech'.

As the founding academic director, Dr. Chen serves as Assistant Dean, Academic Director (Master of Finance Program) & Asst. Professor of Zhejiang University. Previously, He served as He served as Asia-Pacific Region Manager for Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), Judge Business School at University of Cambridge.

Dr. Chen conducted six impactful reports published by University of Cambridge in the UK to review FinTech development and regulation in the region, establishing networks with international organizations, governments, academic institutions, and enterprises.

With over 20 years of expertise, Jac specializes in product roadmap planning, innovative product development, and project management across various domains, including apps, cloud services, and hardware products. Jac brings a solid foundation as a software programmer, with 3 years of dedicated experience in firmware programming for embedded systems and cutting-edge software development.

His approach involves employing design thinking methodologies to craft new product strategies and address complex project challenges, demonstrating an entrepreneurial mindset and strategic perspective. Jac founded DMKTZ, a platform dedicated to AI and 3D digital fashion design ideation and collaboration.

Dr. Yeung is a physicist, engineer and artist. To drive integration between science and art, she also founded a sustainable and STEAM fashion brand, Art by Physicist and the fashion-tech incubation at Microsoft and worked as its founder CEO.

Prior, she was a Senior Quantum Architect at Microsoft Quantum, Manager and Creative Technologist of the Bay Area Microsoft Garage Program, UX Designer at Intel Maker Group, Research Scientist and Hardware Engineer at Intel Silicon Photonics.

She’s the producer of Microsoft’s quantum learning materials, including the MS Learn quantum modules and the Quantum Learning website; author of comic series Quantum Computing & Some Physics; lecturer at HackadayU and Microsoft Reactor on Quantum Computing. She received her Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard University in 2015 (Thesis: Engineering Plasmonic Circuits in 2-Dimensional Electron Systems) and a M.Sci., B.A. and M.A. in Natural Sciences from University of Cambridge in 2010.

Kitty’s career has been focusing on the integration of technology, science, design and art. Kitty frequently gives technical and career talks reflecting her passion and experience in quantum computing, wearables industry, digital transformation, and startups.

Catherine D. Henry is an award-winning pioneer in spatial computing, a tech author and one of the top global experts on the Metaverse and Web3. A strategic advisor to Boards and executive management teams, she's leading the world’s most successful companies to enter, market, and monetize this new media landscape. She is currently a Managing Principal at EPAM technologies leading the Web3 and Metaverse retail, fashion and luxury practice.

Catherine brings over 20 years of experience as an institutional investment advisor on frontier technologies in investment banking and is a renowned thought leader on global tech megatrends.

A futurist, keynote speaker and author of a bestselling book "Virtual Natives" about AI, Gen Alpha, and Web3, she awarded Campaign Magazine's top 40 distinguished leaders in US media and tech industry for 2022-2023 and ADAge's top 20 Web3 Marketing Leaders in 2023.

Nataliya is a fashion futurist and luxury metaverse strategist, holds an MBA in Fashion Technology from IFA Paris. Renowned for integrating tech into fashion, she initiated VR Metaverse Fashion Week, contributed to Dolce & Gabbana’s NFT collection, and engaged in AI Fashion Week NY as a selected designer. Nataliya advises luxury and tech companies, specializing in digital fashion, AI, web3, spatial computing, robotics and trend forecasting, being one of the key experts in the industry.

Beatrice Newman is the Head of Department at the University of East London, where she leads efforts in curriculum innovation and strategic investments aimed at fostering digital skills and technology-driven processes.

In addition to her pivotal role at UEL, Beatrice assumes the role of venture builder at Beyond Form, a Fashion tech venture studio. In her role as venture builder, she offers consultancy and support tailored to emerging start-up companies.

Recognizing an unmet need in the industry, Beatrice spearheaded the creation of the MODE educational platform in collaboration with Beyond Form. This innovative platform is dedicated to providing emerging designers and graduates with additional knowledge and resources in the realms of business, technology, and sustainability.

As a design entrepreneur herself, managing her fashion brand, KORLEKIE, Beatrice effortlessly navigates the intersection of creative business strategy and contemporary digital tools. Her multifaceted expertise allows her to traverse diverse fields within the fashion industry, helping shape its future trajectory.

Cameron is a pioneer in AI digital fashion, best known as the CEO and founder of The Diigitals—the world’s first all-digital modeling agency. Cameron’s journey began in fashion photography before transitioning to 3D digital work, culminating in the creation of Shudu, the world’s first digital supermodel. Shudu gained international acclaim, capturing attention from celebrities like Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell, and sparking a conversation around digital representation.

Through projects like Shudu, Kami (the first virtual influencer with Down syndrome), and Awa (representing cacao farmers for Magnum), Cameron emphasizes storytelling, inclusivity, and democratizing beauty. By partnering with brands such as Vogue, Balmain, Louis Vuitton, and Burberry, Cameron aims to blend authenticity with innovation, ensuring digital models create opportunities rather than replacing real talent. The Diigitals strives to make beauty accessible to anyone with creativity and a computer, encouraging a diverse and inclusive approach to fashion.

Karinna is an Educator, Innovator and Entrepreneur. She is a published author, who consults and speaks globally on retail innovation and the digitalisation of fashion.

In 2019 she created HOT:SECOND a circular economy concept store trading physical goods for digital experiences. In 2020 she co-founded THE DEMATERIALISED a poly-chain experiential marketspace for fashion NFTs. Karinna is currently advising in fashion VTO and Game Engine Native Entertainment. In 2023 she gave a TED talk on digital fashion.

She regularly contributes to industry debate through commentary Business of Fashion, Bloomberg and Vogue Business and speaking at events and conferences including SXSW; The Financial Times Luxury, Retail Week and Gitex.

Clare is the founder of Digital Fashion Week, and the curator of The Drip – an haute couture digital fashion boutique.

With over two decades of experience innovating at the intersection of fashion design x technology, she launched DFW to throw a spotlight on the possibilities in the fashion industry. An event platform, DFW explores innovation from design concept to consumer.

Before founding Digital Fashion Week, she co-created a software to align the design-to-sales process into a single virtual experience and developed wearable technology products.

Ann has a profound knowledge of the fashion sector at large, +25 years of experience in key positions at Veronique Branquinho, Delvaux and Flanders DC, always with a focus on strategy and partnerships. She co-founded MASJIEN - the agency for fashion, sustainability and technology - where she offers consultancy, keynotes and project management services linked to innovation in the fashion industry.

Today she is active as Digital Product Passport (DPP) researcher at HOWEST and also a board member of Belgian retail group CRG. In addition, Ann is a driving force behind the Web3 movement in Belgium: WEB32 and co-founded the digital fashion network MUTANI in 2021. Her latest projects include the curation of reFLEXion, an exhibition on fashion, technology & identity, a pavilion on circularity and innovation at the FTI Festival-including the holographic fashion show Future Front Row- as well as content direction of the European Fashion Alliance conference and the Metamorphosis talks for Fashion Council Germany, eBay and Vogue Business.