Fashion MA: Who teaches this course

• Staff teaching on this course

The Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture teaches this course. The Faculty has its roots in the studio-based approach of Britain's art school system (the original School of Art was founded in the 1890s).

Today, most of your learning still takes place in our specialist studios. Each subject area has its own fully-equipped studio, where you take part in classes, tutorials and critical reviews with fellow students. This strong studio culture also ensures regular interaction between students and tutors.

Our industry connections mean we provide unique study opportunities, such as:

• the chance to have your work seen by eminent members of your profession
• 'live' projects, site visits and placements in prestigious companies or institutions
• project work and workshops with visiting lecturers and industry specialists

Our excellent reputation means that industry leaders regularly visit our student shows to see the best of the new talent.

Where is the Faculty based? Most students in the Faculty are based at the University's Knights Park campus, with surveying courses based at Penrhyn Road. Our well-equipped facilities offer a modern study environment so that you graduate with cutting-edge skills and knowledge.

Nancy Tilbury

Nancy Tilbury is a liberated thinker, a fashion designer by training, but with a wide curiosity, an instinct for sensing emerging societal trends and an openness to work with any other discipline to innovate.

Nancy graduated with an MA in Fashion Womenswear from the Royal College of Art in 1997. Since graduating she has worked in collaboration with Philips Design on many conceptual and strategic design projects – a current example is 'Skin Probes Dresses', exploring technological atmospheres in and around the body.

Past commissions have included a programme with Nike, which involved working in a team to develop a strategic business model for the Digital Athlete. As well as a connected clothing line for Levi's Europe-titled 'ICD ', this product was positioned in boutiques as the first wearable technologies for the fashion industry.

Nancy's client list includes EMI music, UK television channel ITV, Goose Advanced Apparel Design Agency (London), and Philips Design (The Netherlands).

Nancy is the course director for Fashion MA at Kingston University, pioneering a new 'fashion futures design platform' for fashion designers with a thirst for innovation.

Philippa Wagner

Philippa Wagner is a progressive materials specialist. On graduating from the Royal College of Art in Woven Textiles in 1998, she pioneered the application of smart textiles and integrated technology at Philips Design and Research.

During Philippa's time at Philips Design she developed new business partnerships in the field of soft technologies with high profile brands, including Dupont, Santoni, Orange and Nike. The Orange Project 'Relax To Win' – an application integrating a knitted sensor in mobile gaming jewellery – won several awards for Philips Design.

Philippa continues to pioneer the development of new materials across design disciplines, previously in her role as materials and innovation consultant at WGSN and now at the leading trend and forecasting company Stylesite. In 2008 Philippa's team at WGSN staged the third 100% materials at London's 100% Design.

She plays a critical role as a visiting lecturer on the Fashion MA course at Kingston University. Her role incorporates all the major fashion context module reviews, working on both the interdisciplinary modules and leading the fashion forecast major project proposal.

Barry Grainger

Barry Grainger is a unique menswear designer. Fundamentally an innovator and entrepreneur, Barry has had a very broad range of experience across the fashion sector running several of his own successful UK streetwear and casualwear labels.

Barry graduated from the RCA in the mid-90s with an MA in Fashion Menswear. Upon graduating he set up his own label, GBH, whose designs were immediately selected and stocked in Harvey Nichols in London.

Following GBH's success, Barry was appointed design director of Wildlife Works Ethical Fashion Label, where he and his partner Jenny Udale developed distinct printed womenswear using ethical techniques and humanitarian production, a unique concept in the early noughties. Under Barry's direction, Wildlife Works showed several collections at London Fashion Week at both On | Off and The Vauxhall Fashion Scout to critical acclaim.

More recently Barry has formed label Dirty Youth with business and creative partner Neil Adams. Dirty Youth is currently stocked internationally at Liverpool in Mexico, Harvey Nichols, London and various retail outlets in Asia.

Barry is a key Fashion MA staff member teaching across modules developing innovation-based fashion practice as well as applied design techniques for new business and creative employability.

Ian Wallace

Ian Wallace is a rare artisan. Today the British fashion industry celebrates his skill as a precious specialism. Since graduating in sports and leisurewear in 1991, Ian has worked for a broad range of UK fashion companies from high street brands, such as the Arcadia Group, designing sportswear classics for streetwear brands such as the influential BOY London Line.

Whilst developing bespoke clubwear for friends in the early 90s, Ian started his own successful label, Hustle & Coke, selling extreme club fashion and fetish wear. Hustle & Coke had shops in Europe and went on to produce one-off pieces for musical artists and leading 90s advertising campaigns. Ian has a discerning eye for detail and through his clubwear network he began working with Spanish metal couturier Manual Albarran on innovative intimate pieces for advertising campaigns such as Lavazza, Italy, and fashion-focused couture costumes for major projects, which showcased at The Royal Albert Hall in London.

Since the mid-90s, Ian has become known for his specialist skills in fine finishing, couture detailing, tailoring, lace making, gold work embroidery and macramé, particularly in corsetry and intimates. More recently Ian has worked alongside Avshalom Gur, creating unique corsets for his Autumn/Winter 2008/09 collection shown at London Fashion Week. He has also collaborated for with Ziad Ghanem on his couture range, creating several key pieces for his international collection also shown at London Fashion Week.

Ian is currently the director of the design work room at Selfridges, London where he oversees a large team of expert makers. Ian works intensively with our students to teach and develop their specialist skills for high-end product, maintaining excellence at MA level.  

Joanna Norman

Joanna has spent over 25 years in the fragrance industry, of which 17 have been spent at International Flavours and Fragrances, the leading supplier of fragrances at that time, starting from Junior Account Manager to Vice President Major Clients.

Her professional background includes all aspects of fragrance development, marketing, media, sales and training in both London and Paris. She has a background in business and is a founding director of Pandora Fragrance Consultancy. Joanna studied for an MPhil on Fragrance in Fashion at the Royal College Art and currently consults with Chanel and L'Oreal and is working in the role of Enterprise Consultant with the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture at Kingston.

Her passion lies in exploring perfumery and fashion trends combining aesthetics and business. 

Practising designers

Other practising designers who contribute to the Fashion MA include:

• Jack Mama Clive van Heerden (Philips Design NL);
• Nelly Ben Hayoun (Artist and Critical Designer);
• Lianne Mallett (Nokia);
• Andrew Ibi (The Convenience Store);
• Sam Elliott (Sam Elliott London);
• Elinor Renfrew (fashion writer and course director of the Fashion BA(Hons) at Kingston University);
• Amanda Sleet (Living Skins & Inclusive Design Expert);
• John Walford & Martyn Roberts (Vauxhall Fashion Scout International);
• Emily Naismith (WASP Print Studio London);
• Linda Harman (Marketing Director Givaudan UK); and
• Niamh O'Connor (Designer).