Exploring the impact of Fashion on the environment

Throughout my journey as a researcher—from postgraduate studies to my work with Northumbria University—I've been driven by a desire to share my findings with colleagues and designers alike, creating space for understanding and sparking the meaningful conversations that sustainable fashion urgently needs.

This research explores the powerful intersection of sustainability, craft, and community. Rooted in collaboration, it investigates how shared practices—like repair, textile care, and creative making—can reshape the fashion landscape. By highlighting the voices, skills, and traditions within communities, the research considers circularity benefits along with understand what the next steps are in dealing with the textile waste.

Designer

As a Senior Research Assistant at Northumbria University, working on the IMPACT+ project, I’m currently involved in the Care & Repair Project in partnership with St Oswald’s Hospice. Together, we’re developing a comprehensive Care & Repair guide that offers written and visual instructions to support the delivery of repair workshops.

Multidisciplinary Design researcher and practitioner with a focus on sustainability, textile innovation, and circular fashion systems. Currently a Senior Research Assistant on the IMPACT+ project at Northumbria University, she holds a Distinction in MA Design and a First-Class BA (Hons) in Fashion Textiles Print.

Her research interests span textile waste, end-of-life garment strategies, repair cultures, and community engagement. I work across disciplines to explore how mindful making, care practices, and creative collaboration can inform sustainable futures in the fashion and textile industries. Alongside academic work, she pursues freelance design projects that extend research into real-world applications—bridging theory and practice through craft, inquiry, and collaboration.

“Creativity is not just a skill—it’s a force for change. When rooted in care, community, and conscious design, it becomes a catalyst for reimagining the future"

Suzanne Claire Nicolson