SDC Chartered Colourist Q&A – Graham Stewart, Fibre52

In this ongoing interview series, we speak with former students who have achieved their Chartered Colourist (CCol) status with the SDC, exploring their journey into textile dyeing and how gaining chartered status has positively impacted their careers.

Name: Graham Stewart

Employer: Fibre52

Role: Founder and executive vice president

1. Hi Graham, thanks for taking part in our interview series. To kick things off, how did your journey in the dyeing industry begin, and how did this lead you to the SDC?

After leaving school, I was fortunate to join a large commission dyeing company, where I was fast-tracked through various dye houses. The company also allowed me to study dyeing and textiles part-time at Huddersfield Polytechnic, where I first learned about the SDC. I heard that being awarded an Associateship of the SDC (ASDC) meant reaching the pinnacle of textile coloration and knowledge.

Back then, it was the mid-1970s. We invested in the best dyeing equipment and had some of the world’s leading dyestuff producers nearby. A host of new fibres – including polyester, acrylics, and manmade cellulose – were arriving with a multitude of process and coloration issues. The volumes increased rapidly, and research and development had to be done there and then, on the job. Everything was moving so fast, so I had to learn more to keep pace with fibre development. To stay relevant, there was only one way forward – I had to study and earn the ASDC.

2. What led you to pursue your chartered status, and how has this shaped your career so far?

The rapid development of the industry was my main driver. After gaining my City & Guilds Full Technological Certificate, I focused on arming myself with the knowledge I needed to keep moving forward. I began working towards the ASDC at Bradford University and was fortunate that the SDC allowed part-time study, as I had become a technical and dyehouse manager for multiple sites. This flexibility was so important.

3. How was your experience with the SDC, and do you still find you can apply your learnings to your current role?

The knowledge I gained from my ASDC studies has been critical. It enabled me to work effectively in a multi-site environment with a host of fibres, slivers, yarns, fabric types and structures, as well as a wide range of dyestuffs, chemicals, machines, and procedures. Alongside my college colleagues, I was also active in the SDC junior section, engaging with industry leaders and visiting textile and dyestuff manufacturers.

Since then, I have been fortunate to hold senior positions throughout the textile and apparel value chains, from fundamental science to apparel brand management. The insights from my ASDC studies have been an invaluable constant in my career, and never more so than today as I engage with dyeing and finishing mills all over the world.

4. What is your favourite part about textile colouration?

I enjoy the constant challenges involved in textile coloration. Barely a day goes by where there is not a coloration challenge, whether short-term or more complex. Overcoming those challenges is still one of the most satisfying and rewarding parts of my working life.

5. How do you find the balance between keeping on top of your chartered status and working full-time?

I regularly reflect on what I have achieved or otherwise over the course of a day, week, month, and year, using these reflections to balance maintaining my chartered status with full-time work.

6. Tell us more about your job role

Whatever my roles have been, I always find my way into coloration and wet processing. Frustrated by the lack of attention given to sustainable processing – particularly in dyeing and finishing cellulosic fibres with conventional machinery – I began working on Fibre52 four years ago. I set out to see if I could process textiles in a more sustainable way, replacing heavy, damaging chemistry with cleaner bioproducts. It took me two years of trial and error to transform the preparation processes for dye, bleach, cellulosic fibres, fabrics, and garments. After meeting the owners of a Texas-based technology company, we joined forces, and Fibre52 was born.

As the executive vice president of Fibre52, my role is to help manage the global adoption of the patented process by brands and their suppliers. This involves a degree of optimisation, as there are differences in machinery and conditions.

We now have a team of textile dyeing and processing specialists working in mills around the world, implementing and commercialising the Fibre52 process. This also requires a great deal of reporting to brands and global certification bodies. We provide objective data, comparing Fibre52 with conventional methods, measuring daily savings in energy, time, water, and dyestuffs, as well as improvements in effluent quality, reduced fibre damage, and processing yield. Another major factor we look at is the reduction in carbon footprint.

In addition, I play a leading role in protecting Fibre52’s patent and the associated intellectual property, while also working with teammates to develop additional advanced, sustainable process products and techniques.

7. As a chartered colorist, what are your thoughts on sustainability within textile coloration?

My daily life now revolves around sustainability, and the creation of Fibre52 is my effort to make a positive contribution to textile coloration. Apparel producers, retailers, and brands are being held more and more accountable for how their coloration processes impact the environment. Consumers are equally becoming more conscious of their purchasing decisions. I’m seeing a real and growing effort to do what is better for the environment, moving beyond mere lip service.

8. What are your career aspirations for the future?

I truly believe in the future of Fibre52, and the impact it can make. I want to drive Fibre52 to become the predominant way to process fibres, textiles, and apparel around the globe. I also want to develop additional sustainable processes and products that can benefit this world we call home.

If the CCol colouration sparks your interest, explore the full course criteria, benefits, and details on how to apply.