Profession / role:

Ceo and Founder of Innovasians Ltd, a design and development company

Company / organisation:

Innovasians Ltd

Website (if you have one):

http://www.innovasians.com

My primary role in relation to fashion is:

Supplier, Manufacturer, Consultant

I am looking to discover or buy

B2B SME clients interested in eco and sustainable lifestyle products in product and in consulting to facilitate them implementing greener supply chain and products

About me / About business or organisation:

Lizette is a native South African and studied at Stellenbosch University in South Africa where she completed a Bachelor of Science Degree. In 1991 Lizette obtained her ATI (Associateship to the Textile Institute) In Manchester UK, and in 2003 Lizette graduated at Henley Management College in Kent in the UK where she completed her general MBA while working for "Next plc" as a Senior Technical Manager in the Hong Kong Operation (Next Sourcing Limited). Over the past 29 years Lizette has worked for and made valuable contributions to Woolworths (South Africa), Nike (Asia Pacific Regional Office in Hong Kong) and Next Sourcing Limited (subsidiary of Next plc in Hong Kong).

Career history / Company history:

Lizette’s career path:
a. B.Sc Degree in South Africa at University of Stellenbosch
b. Worked in Industry at Meritex Group in Cape Town as Lab Manager, Quality Assurance Manager and Technical Manager
c. Worked at Blue chip Woolworths South Africa as Technology Manager
d. Employed by Nike APAO HQ as Regional Materials Manager to manage the supply base to Nike in Asia Pacific
e. Employed By Next Asia/Next Sourcing Limited as Regional Technical Manager to build a technical team on fabrics and to improve the supply base of the office as a whole through sample development and quality management.
f. Started up Innovasians Limited to develop and manufacture eco and sustainable lifestyle products
Lizette today has 29 years experience in Global Retail and Manufacturing to date. Over the years Lizette has acquired a network of relationships with suppliers across Asia, which allows Lizette to develop exclusive lifestyle products, garments and textiles that are of the highest quality. Innovasians are involved in the raw materials and own the supply chain of their products. Through 'Added Value ' the product range is unique. Lizette is CEO of this unique company and has managed to obtain a blue chip customer base with clients in eco and sustainable lifestyle products with the likes of Shangri La, Tata, Orla Kiely, SWIRE, and more
As an authority on sustainable textiles, Lizette Smook is a frequent speaker at major international textile conferences. Lizette recently spoke at the CBD/UNTAD / UNEP conference (UN) in Jakarta on 'The Impact of Fashion on Biodiversity'. A published author (The Competitiveness of the China Textile Apparel Manufacturing Industry, 2003), Smook is frequently quoted in regional media for her key insights on the positioning of the Asian textile supply base in the global market. Innovasians was awarded “Green Hero’ in the July Edition of Hong Kong Tatler - (http://www.asiatatler.com/hk/hk_tatler_magazine/2010_07/pdf/greenhe...) as well as published in the Amcham Biz.hk-Magazine in July (http://www.amcham.org.hk/images/magazine/jul10.pdf). In August 2010 Lizette was featured in the Hong Kong Trader – the Electronic newsletter of the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council (HKTDC) – (http://www.hktdc.com/info/mi/a/hkthk/en/1X071CHJ/1/Hong-Kong-Trader...) and Lizette appeared in the Sunday Paper in Hong Kong on September 19, 2010 – The Sunday Morning Post in Hong Kong (http://www.innovasians.com/files/Design%20file.pdf)
Lizette is currently co-writing a guideline paper for the UN on the Impact of the Leather industry on Biodiversity.