The Textiles and Apparel elearning centre is owned by Media Innovations Ltd, a subsidiary company of  The University of Leeds. The company was established in 2003 and, in addition to textiles educational modules, produces self-help training and diagnostic software for medical applications.

The Textiles and Apparel elearning centre was created to market "Introduction to Textiles" a suite of computer based learning modules developed specifically for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying at the University of Leeds to enable them to study at their own pace and time concepts that are often difficult to explain in a lecture.  

The development work was pioneered in 1994 by Dr Simon Harlock and his colleagues in the then, Department of Texile Industries, now the School of Design, at the University.

These modules have been studied in this way, at the University since 1995. Dr Harlock has since left the University to enable him to continue the development and produce more modules as Textile and Apparel Development Manager within the company.

Introduction to Textiles has now been suplemented with a range of specialist  subject modules. To date it has been licensed for use in over 20 countries and in over 100 organisations worldwide.