Accepting PhD Students

PhD projects

I am keen to hear from all potential doctoral candidates and have specific interests in supervising projects in following areas;

- design research, design theory, design studies, design process and pedagogy across all disciplines

- material innovation and data visualisation through textile and craft methodologies

- circular design, transition design and design for sustainability in fashion and textiles

Personal profile

Biography

After graduating from Loughborough University in Multi Media Textile Design, I was awarded the Texprint (now TexSelect) Breaking New Ground Award. I then joined Central Saint Martin’s prestigious MA Fashion specialising in Textiles for Fashion. My graduating menswear collection was shown at London Fashion Week in 2003. During this time, I undertook a number of internships and freelance roles at fashion brands as well as gaining international press and publicity (Vogue.com, Elle Decoration, International Textiles) and sales to brands such as Michiko Koshino, Reebok and Donna Karan and well as showing my work at avant-garde stores such as The Pineal Eye.  In 2014, I was awarded my PhD from the Royal College of Art entitled In Textasis: Matrixial Narratives of Textile Design which focusses on articulates textile design practice within and beyond existing and emerging design theory.

Research Interests

My work, both practice-based and theoretical, has always taken an approach that is experimental and conceptual; questioning and exploring the innate and typical characteristics of textiles, materials and cloth, particularly in the context of the body.

I adopt materials, texts and processes, often from beyond the expected and adapt and innovate with them to create new surfaces, fabrications and texts. In the past I have created embroidered textile transfers for skin, magnetised cloth coated in iron giving the effect of needlecord and astrakhan, and used animal hair and silk in the electrostatic flocking process.  My theoretical work in design research utilises feminist qualitative research methods, exploring relationality through storytelling, autoethnography and metaphor. My work both commentates on and aims to establish the position of textile design with the design research discourses and academic community, through the development of textile theory. 

I am keen to hear from all potential PhD and MPhil candidates and have specific interests in supervising projects in following areas;

- design research, design theory, design studies, design process and pedagogy across all disciplines

- material innovation and data visualisation/materialisation methodologies

- circular design, transition design and design for sustainability in fashion and textiles

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 4 - Quality Education
  • SDG 5 - Gender Equality
  • SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
  • SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

Education/Academic qualification

Ph.D., In Textasis: Matrixial Narratives of Textile Design, Royal College of Art

20052013

Award Date: 28 Nov 2014

MA, Fashion: Textiles for Fashion, Central Saint Martins

20012003

Award Date: 31 Mar 2003

BA (Hons), Multi Media Textile Design, Loughborough University

Award Date: 1 Jul 2001

External positions

Senior Lecturer and Year 3 Lead, BA (Hons) Textile Design, Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London

Jan 2022Feb 2024

External Examiner for BA (Hons) Textile Design, De Montfort University

9 Jan 2019 → …

Visiting Tutor in Textiles Research, Royal College of Art

Jun 2018 → …

External Examiner for MA Fashion and Textile Practices, University of Huddersfield

Sept 2017 → …

Keywords

  • NK Decorative arts Applied arts Decoration and ornament
  • design research
  • design studies
  • design thinking
  • textile design
  • fashion design
  • autoethnography
  • design theory
  • qualitative research methods
  • material design
  • critical practice
  • practice research

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