About
Welcome to Clothing Industry Research, a UK based site which has been devised as a virtual environment in which to discuss aspects and elements of research and development occurring within clothing an affiliated fields. This site has been set up by Dr Clare Hussey following the completion of her clothing based PhD, as a forum to further discourse and debate.
Background: My research interests relate to processes and practices within the clothing sector. I have a clothing educational background, which started in 1993 with an HND in Textiles & Clothing from Nottingham Trent University, followed in 1995 by a BSc (Hons) in Applied Consumer Sciences at Northumbria University. I obtained my MSc in 1998 in Clothing (Advanced Manufacture) from Manchester Metropolitan University, at Hollings Faculty.
From 1998-2001 I worked as a graduate trainee at Dewhirst (ladieswear tailoring) then a large UK based clothing manufacturer, a much valued experience that gave me a fundamental understanding of all areas of clothing production. Between 2002-03 I worked at Northumbria University analysing student demographics within the corporate planning department.
I began my Design based PhD at the Centre for Design Research at Northumbria University in September 2003. The research focus evolved from an initial interest in clothing sizes combined with my knowledge of demographics. Needless to say as the research progressed, the topic evolved, which you will see when I get around to posting my thesis as the site is populated. I successfully completed my viva in October of 2007, finally graduating in July 2008.
Research: I am currently working as an independent research consultant on a number of projects, with: Skillfast-UK, the Sector Skills Council for Fashion and Textiles (soon to be affiliated with Skillset) as part of their qualifications team; on a voluntary basis ongoing since 2007 as part of the Defra Clothing Sustainability Roadmap; the School of Design at Northumbria University investigating the viability of continual professional development (CPD) for design practitioners; IG Cohen a textile recycler to investigate potential opportunities for the future in terms of recycling