Graduating from Central St Martins School of Art & Design with a BA (Hons) Fashion Womenswear, Clare has spent the last 20 years working in the fashion industry as both a Designer and Educator.
Clare started her career in the UK where she worked as a freelance Fashion and Textile Designer for a number of international fashion labels while also developing her career as a Tutor. Clare went on to establish and lead academic courses based in London as well as designing bespoke educational training and consultancy programmes in fashion and surface print design for industry clients at the London College of Fashion as part of their Fashion Business Resource Studio.
In 2008 Clare relocated to Moscow to establish, author and direct the first international BA (Hons) Fashion Degree Programme in Russia at the British Higher School of Art & Design, Moscow.
Under Clare’s creative direction and leadership the course has inspired a new generation of fashion designers that are challenging and re-defining the perception of the Russian Fashion industry internationally.
Clare has introduced much needed pedagogic change and innovation to the academic process and has built an ambitious fashion department. During this time the course has attracted a strong profile spawning some of the most prominent and original fashion talent in Russia with an ever-growing young community of talented and diverse Graduates entering industry at all levels.
Clare’s alumni have attracted global recognition and international acclaim, with alumni such as Maria Jahnkoy, shortlisted for the LVMH prize and making the Forbes ‘30 under 30’ as well as graduates featured in i-D, Dazed Digital, British Vogue, L’Officiel, Vogue Russia, Vogue Italia, ShowStudio, New York Times, Calvert Journal and The Guardian.
As part of her life in Moscow and research into Russian culture Clare has been engaged in her own professional design practice.
She launched her debut collection as part of the British Council’s British Designers Day at Russian Fashion Week and continues to be inspired by her creative and cultural life in Moscow. Clare’s work has been featured in The Pop, The Telegraph, The New York Times, The Guardian and Style Bubble.
Clare is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is regularly invited to consult and participate in academic, creative and cultural initiatives. She has worked with a number of organisations including the British Council, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Russia, Russian Fashion Council, Garage Centre for Contemporary Culture, Moscow, Russian Fashion Theory and the Museum of Moscow.