Claire Barker-Phillips

Course Leader, Fashion Design BA(Hons)

I graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1998 with a Master's specialising in Knitwear Design. Having sold my debut collection to Browns Focus. I went on to design for a range of international companies, including Marc Jacobs, Etro, Marks and Spencer and Boden.

Developing collections for Habitat allowed me to expand my interests in product design and ethical production. During this time, I oversaw projects from concept through to production, including trend research, creating style and colour boards, monitoring production in both Europe and the Far East, visiting factories and suppliers and resolving problems related to manufacturing and design.

Since joining Falmouth in 2014, I have worked as a Senior Lecturer and then Course Leader on the BA(Hons) Fashion Design degree course. I completed a PGCHE with an HEA Fellowship in 2016, focusing on the transition of students' journeys from further education to higher education.

I have overseen a shift towards a greater focus on sustainable fashion futures, preparing students for the changing fashion industry, and aligning the course with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, elements that also inform my own research interests.

I am currently a joint lead on a research-informed project that explores garment mending skills and extending the life of garments, asking whether school programmes can play a role in nurturing a culture of longevity and challenging prevailing ideas around a garment’s end of life. Ultimately, the ambition is to reshape consumer mindsets and instil fundamental mending skills from an early age. 

Contact details

Telephone 01326 259249

Email claire.barker-phillips@falmouth.ac.uk