Gabrielle Shiner-Hill is a digital textile expert, consultant, academic, and speaker who is on a mission to prove that digital literacy and 3D skills are the future of our industry and will help accelerate sustainability within fashion.
Gabby is passionate about co-creation and innovation and aims to advance the fashion industry's future with sustainable and efficient solutions. As a co-founder of Bureau 555, she has worked with brands and manufacturers to transition to 3D sampling and digital materials, leveraging 20 years of experience in design and manufacturing, and expertise in software simulation and digital literacy.
Gabrielle started her course at Central St Martins in 1998 and graduated in 2001. She specialised in weaving and spent two years of her degree working on the dobby looms at Southampton Row. This unique experience allowed her to develop a deep understanding of the weaving process and the technical skills required. She also learned several industry-specific skills, such as yarn selection, dyeing, warping, weaving, and finishing. These formative years enabled her to develop skills using the textile design software Pointcarre, which paved the way for the next 20 years of her career.
In 2002, Gabrielle made a significant career move to New York, where she was hired to train fashion companies on Pointcarre.
Her expertise led her to travel all over the US, helping mills transition their design and weaving processes to digital workflows.
From there, she worked directly for suppliers, focusing on design and manufacturing, working at Esquel and and eventually became the design manager at large UK-based supplier Dewhirst, a testament to her career achievements and industry impact.
Co-creating the future of responsible and sustainable fashion
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Co-creating the future of responsible and sustainable fashion
Co-creating the future of responsible and sustainable fashion * Co-creating the future of responsible and sustainable fashion
In 2016, Gabrielle set up her consultancy, shinerhilldesign, which focused on responsible fabric sourcing for independent brands. Simultaneously, she moved into teaching and became Course Leader on the BA (Hons) Fashion Buying and Brand Management Course at Ravensbourne University London, leaning into a critical interest in responsible sourcing. She led student trips to garment manufacturers in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh so the students could visit textile mills and garment makers, giving them first-hand experience with the supply chain and insight into how many people are really involved in making a garment.
After conducting industry research, supported by UAL’s Fashion, Textiles and Technology Institute and the British Council, into virtual fabric and sampling garments, Gabrielle co-founded Bureau 555, with operations spanning the UK and Bangladesh. The company's mission is to democratise digital garments throughout the textile supply chain, enhancing efficiency and reducing time and wastage by simplifying 3D product creation. Collaborating with mills, factories, brands, and retailers, Bureau 555 not only facilitates digital accessibility but also plays a pivotal role in upskilling workers, a testament to Gabrielle's unwavering commitment to inclusivity in the supply chain.
Gabrielle’s work has also developed into digitalising fashion to preserve archive materials, with a 2024 Industrial Fellowship supported by The Studio in Bath with the Fashion Museum Bath.
Technology, education, and transparency have been fundamental themes throughout Gabrielle's 20-year career. She believes that digitisation and connection-making can accelerate fashion's sustainability problems and level up the textile supply chain imbalance.