Head of Division
School of Arts and Humanities
Carol Brown is Head of Division of Art and Design at University Campus Suffolk.
Previously Carol has worked at a number of institutions including the University of Lincoln (Principal Lecturer - Cluster Leader: Fashion, Product Design, Animation and Craft; Head of Fashion; MA Stream Leader Fashion and Textiles); De Montfort University, Lincoln (Programme Leader BA (Hons) Fashion and Textiles); De Montfort University, Fashion Studies; University of Northampton (Subject Leader Fashion Design); Boston College (Subject Leader/Franchise Coordinator/International Recruitment Officer BA (Hons) Fashion Studies). She has also worked for numerous design companies including 3 Suisses, Fibre Designs and Futura Designs Ltd, and served as a consultant to national knitwear exhibitions. She is a member of the European Textile Forum, the Textile Society and the Designer Forum.
Publications
She has published a wide range of articles nationally and internationally relating to knitwear design and knitwear construction techniques, careers in fashion and trend forecasting through Traplet Publications and Futura Publications. Her latest book is Fashion and Textiles: The Essential Careers Guide with Laurence King Publishing, which has been translated into several languages. She has also contributed essays to The Encyclopaedia of Contemporary Designers and Contemporary Fashion, and is now working on a further book Knitwear in Fashion for 2013. Aside from her own publications, she has also reviewed several books for leading publishers, including Routledge and Laurence King Publishing.
Present Research
Her current research is on the study of the link between education, practice and employability within the design industry, involving the investigation of potential markets and career opportunities open to graduates including strategies for achieving success within the industry. She is also studying stereotypical domesticity and the functionality and craft of knitting – as well as reviewing contemporary international trends in knitting and its marginality in constructed textiles, conceptualising knitting in a less subservient role than traditionally provided. The latter work encompasses the study of changing perceptions of knitting, the complexities of technique and stitch structure, the politics of knitting, and the application of new technologies.
