Kay Radford is a research associate at the school of Fashion and Textiles in the faculty of Arts, Design and Humanities, at De Montfort University in Leicester.
As a textile testing technical instructor, Kay works with undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD students, supporting them with testing, product innovation and sustainability projects, including fashionable period underwear, postpartum maternity range and period nightwear collections.
Her previous industry roles included working for global commercial testing facilities, UL (Underwriters Laboratories), Intertek and SGS which allowed her to gain knowledge of textile testing and test method development working closely with major high street retailers. Her research interests focus primarily on the exploration of a sustainable approach to the production, consumption and end-of-life management of textiles.
Kay was the Research Associate on the project ‘Sustainable period products-mitigating beach waste and period poverty’ and is currently working the follow on project Reusable period products supporting the UK human and natural environment for health and wellbeing, alongside Dr Edward Smith and Dr Angela Davies.