SPEAKING

Kristine Upesleja has spoken at over 50 events across the world on all things innovative materials and sustainable fashion. If you would like to request her for your next event, please visit the contact page. She is fluent in English, German, and Latvian.

Topics

  • Sustainable Fashion

  • Circular Economy

  • Slow Fashion vs. Fast Fashion

  • Up-cycling, Recycling

  • Biocouture, Biofashion and Biosynthetics

  • Smart Materials

  • Impacts of Wearable Technology and Smart Fabrics

  • Textiles and Materials Sourcing

  • Trends in Fashion

  • Costume and Stage Design

  • 3D Printing in Fashion and the Footwear Industry

SELECTED SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

2025
  • UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture, Panelist: Thinking Through Textiles
    Los Angeles, CA | February 21, 2025
    Event Link →
  • OTIS College of Design, Lecturer: Why Materials Matter
    Los Angeles, CA | October 9, 2025

2024
  • UEDA College of Fashion, Guest Teacher: Fashion and Design Course
    Osaka, Japan
  • UEDA College of Fashion, Judge: Fashion Design and Fashion Drawing Competition
    Osaka, Japan
  • ArtCenter College of Design, Lecturer: AICAD Symposium
    Pasadena, CA
  • ArtCenter College of Design, Panelist: Seaweed Story Film Screening
    Pasadena, CA

    Featured in ArtCenter Dot Magazine: Unwrapping the Future: Seaweed Stories →

  • California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Lecturer: Why Materials Matter Symposium
    Pasadena, CA

2023
  • Swedish Chamber of Commerce, Speaker
    Riga, Latvia (Virtual)
  • PI (Product Innovation) Apparel Conference, Speaker
    Los Angeles, CA

2022
  • UEDA College of Fashion, Judge & Presenter: International Student Showcase
    Osaka, Japan (Virtual) | January 2022
  • Kendall College of Art and Design, Ferris State University, Workshop and Study Tour: Innovative Trends and Concepts
    Grand Rapids, MI (Virtual) | May 3, 2022
  • ArtCenter College of Design, Lecturer & Workshop Leader: CMF_x Workshop (Colors, Materials, Finishes)
    Pasadena, CA | June 6–11, 2022
  • FIDM Speaker’s Bureau, Presenter: Teachers’ Conference
    Austin, TX (Virtual) | July 20, 2022
  • UEDA College of Fashion (Hosted at FIDM), Workshop Leader: Trends and Concepts for a New Materials World
    Los Angeles, CA | August 8, 2022
  • MAGIC Apparel Show, Industry Presenter: Emerging Material Trends
    Las Vegas, NV (Virtual) | August 9, 2022
  • Eden Travel Study Tour, Panelist: Sustainability in Fashion
    Hong Kong & London (Virtual) | August 25, 2022
  • OTIS College of Art and Design, Guest Lecture: Engineering Fashion
    Los Angeles, CA | September 7, 2022
  • University of Southern California (USC), Presentation: Trends and Concepts for a New Materials World
    Los Angeles, CA | September 8, 2022
  • Dorothy Waxman International Textile Design Prize, New York Textile Month, Judge
    New York, NY (Virtual) | September 20, 2022

2021
  • Massey University, Lecturer: The Future of Materials in Design Education
    Wellington, New Zealand (Virtual) | July 17, 2021
  • Swedish Chamber of Commerce, Presenter
    Riga, Latvia (Virtual) | June 2, 2021
  • Marist College, School of Liberal Arts, Guest Lecturer: Emerging Materials and Design Innovation
    Poughkeepsie, NY (Virtual) | May 19, 2021
  • FIDM Fashion Club, Presentation and Showcase: Innovative Materials Collection
    Los Angeles, CA | April 22, 2021
  • University of Innsbruck, Lecturer: Designing Future Realities
    Innsbruck, Austria (Virtual) | March 16, 2021
  • UEDA College of Fashion, Judge & Presenter: Fashion Drawing Award and Fashion Design Award
    Osaka, Japan | January 2021

2020
  • PI Apparel, Lecturer: Trends and Concepts for a New Materials World
    New York City, NY | November 11, 2020
  • Design Shanghai, Judge for Awards
    Shanghai, China | 2020
  • UEDA College of Fashion, Guest Presenter & Judge: Design Competitions
    Osaka, Japan | 2020
  • Virtual MAGIC Trade Show, Presenter: Trends and Concepts for Future Materials
    Las Vegas, NV (Virtual) | October 2020

2019
  • California State University, Long Beach – Duncan Anderson Design Lecture Series, Lecturer
    Long Beach, CA | October 17, 2019
  • Tongji Design Week, NEUNI Materio – Global New Material Forum, Presenter
    Shanghai, China | October 15, 2019
  • UEDA College of Fashion, Workshop Leader: Engineering Fashion
    Osaka, Japan | June 6–12, 2019
  • Woodbury University, Lecturer: Trends and Concepts for a New Materials World
    Burbank, CA | April 2, 2019

2018
  • MAGIC – Sourcing Sessions, Presenter: Sourcing for the Future: Smart and Sustainable Materials
    Las Vegas, NV | February 12–14, 2018
  • GUESS – The World of Fibers, Corporate Workshop: Material Innovation and Fiber Education
    Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA | March 12, 2018
  • MAGIC Trade Show, Presenter: Trends and Concepts for a New Materials World
    Las Vegas, NV | August 14, 2018
  • Study Hall – Ace Hotel, Panelist: Circularity and Collaboration in the Fashion Industry
    Los Angeles, CA | August 26, 2018
  • LA Textile Arts – Fall Textile Summit, Panelist: Innovation in Textiles and Responsible Design
    Los Angeles, CA | September 15–16, 2018
  • University of Southern California – Fashion Industry Association, Guest Lecturer: Emerging Materials and Sustainability in Fashion
    Los Angeles, CA | October 5, 2018
  • Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM), Conference Organizer & Presenter: Innovative Materials Conference
    Los Angeles, CA | October 22–27, 2018
  • UEDA College of Fashion, Workshop Leader: Engineering Fashion
    Osaka, Japan | June 6–9, 2018
  • Reformation HQ, Presenter: Sustainable Materials and Future Trends in Fashion
    Los Angeles, CA | December 11, 2018

2017
  • EcoSessions, Panelist: Innovations in Textiles
    Soho House, West Hollywood, CA | January 12, 2017
  • GUESS, Corporate Workshop: Trends and Concepts for Fashion Design
    Los Angeles, CA | February 1, 2017
  • Make It in LA + Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, Panelist & Presenter: Future Textiles
    Los Angeles, CA | May 31, 2017
  • Swiss Textile Collection, Evaluator: Textile Innovation and Heritage Review
    Zurich, Switzerland | September 17, 2017
  • Taipei Innovative Textile Application Show, Conference Presentation: Trends and Concepts for a New Material World
    Taipei, Taiwan | October 16–18, 2017
  • California State University, Long Beach, Guest Lecture: Engineering Fashion – Inventions
    Long Beach, CA | November 9, 2017
  • Santa Monica College, Workshop: Engineering Fashion
    Santa Monica, CA | December 8, 2017

2016
  • ArtCenter College of Design – Engineering Fashion, Lecturer: Engineering Fashion
    Pasadena, CA | October 17, 2016
  • EcoSessions – Circular Economy, Panelist
    Montreal, Canada | October 19, 2016
  • Wear It Smart Conference – Engineering Fashion, Conference Presenter
    Montreal, Canada | October 19–20, 2016
  • Southern California Institute of Architecture, Lecture Series: Engineering Fashion
    Los Angeles, CA | December 4, 2016

Pre-2015
  • Smart Fabrics and Wearable Technology – Engineering Fashion Inventions, Conference Presentation
    San Francisco, CA | May 12, 2015
  • Woodbury University, Lecture: Emerging Textiles, Smart Fibers, and the Future of Fashion
    Burbank, CA | May 8, 2014
  • AATCC Conference, Presentation: Textile Innovation and the Evolution of Sustainable Materials
    Long Beach, CA | May 2013
  • Fashion Group International, Lecture: Trends in Sustainable Fashion
    San Diego, CA | February 2013
  • Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM), Founder and Speaker: Innovative Materials Conference
    Los Angeles, CA | 2010
  • Innovative Materials Exhibition, Curator & Lecturer: Innovative Textiles and Materials in Global Design
    Riga, Latvia | 2009 & 2012