Ian Smith, CText FTI

Ian studied textile chemistry, textile engineering, colour management and dyehouse management with the internationally renowned Society of Dyers and Colorists (SDC) as an undergraduate in the 1990s. He attained his CText ATI from the prestigious Textile Institute in 2011 and obtained a Fellowship from the Textile Institute in 2019. Having worked for 12 years within dyehouses and vertical mill operations in both team leader and dyehouse manager roles at British Mohair Spinners and Milliken, Ian's career transitioned to technical sales in 1997 with Roaches International, a textile laboratory machinery manufacturer. There, he advised on market trends and current technology requirements for the textile industry. In 2009, Ian started Coloursmith Ltd, providing technical sales and consultancy to the textile industry. Following a company refocus in 2015, he became Managing Director of the newly formed Textile Consult Ltd, a textile consultancy practice that offers project support and project management to the wider textile industry.