After graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University with a BA in Fashion Design and Technology in 2001, I built a fourteen-year career in the outdoor, sportswear and streetwear industries (right here in Manchester!) I specialised in performance outerwear design and product development, leading apparel and graphic teams and collaborating with global suppliers to create commercially successful ranges for brands and retailers including Umbro, Regatta, Bench, Bernard Weatherill, Gotcha, JD Sports, Extreme Sports Channel and Oi Polloi.

Since joining Manchester Fashion Institute, my work has evolved from designing products to designing learning experiences. Teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, I contribute to curriculum enhancement through module leadership and programme development. As the Live Brief and Competitions Lead for the institution, I provide strategic oversight of industry partnerships, live briefs and competition activity, creating opportunities for students across the divisons to engage with professional practice through authentic industry-facing projects.

I am interested in how fashion education can combine established garment knowledge with emerging technologies to prepare the next generation of outerwear designers. Through an evolving framework I designed called From Archetype to AI, I explore how archival garments, traditional design & making techniques, digital product development and emerging technologies can work together (at the right time) to support creative thinking and informed decision-making. 

The studio is where I feel most at home, encouraging students to explore, experiment and value their individual process as the foundation for meaningful learning, thoughtful outcomes and the pursuit of design excellence.

Supporting students to realise their potential and ambitions beyond university is at the heart of my approach. I encourage them to develop a distinct perspective and create considered solutions that make a positive contribution to the creative industries and wider society.

Press and media appearances or contributions

Becky’s work has featured in publications such as Dazed and Confused, Vice, ID, Hypebeast, Arena Homme +, Sportwear International & FHM Collections. Her ranges have been launched at international trade shows such as Magic, Bread & Butter, Seek, Premium, Ispo and Jacket Required.

Research

My professional practice has also led to published work examining the cultural significance of Outerwear beyond its functional purpose. Most recently, I co-authored Berghaus and a Beer, a photo essay exploring the relationship between clothing, place and cultural belonging in Manchester. Through portraiture and object-based interviews, the project investigates the everyday narratives of Berghaus enthusiasts and considers how garments become markers of identity, community and subcultural affiliation. This work reflects my wider interest in the social and cultural dimensions of outerwear and how these perspectives can enrich fashion design education.

de Lacy, B., Kelly, R., 2025. ‘Berghaus and a beer’, Critical Studies in Men’s Fashion, 12 (1-2), pp. 151-163.

Invited Papers

“LOOKS” an exhibition of cross-disciplinary transformative perspectives post covid enabling human-centric values and practice based professional skills. (Ermenc, A., De-Lacy, B., Easom, S., Genders, S.) 26th Annual Conference of the International Foundation of Fashion Technology Institutes, Ewha Womens University, Seoul, Rep of Korea April 2024.

Awarded the IFFTI Initiative Award 2024

‘LOOKS’ an exhibition fostering a community of collaboration, co-creation and respect. (Ermenc, A., De-Lacy, B., Easom, S., Genders, S.) De-Fashioning Education: A Critical Thinking and Making Conference. The Berlin University of the Arts, Germany September 2023. Digital Multilogue | Learning-Projects

Embracing the third dimension, exploring ‘phygital’ connections by honouring technology and tradition. (Thornton, A., Mechan, J., De-Lacy, B.) 25th Annual Conference of the International Foundation of Fashion Technology Institutes, Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand April 2023. 

Awarded the IFFTI Senior Faculty Initiative Award 2023

Exhibitions

Berghaus and a Beer (Portraits & Presentation of initial findings De-Lacy, B., Kelly, R.)Locating Menswear Forum, Manchester and Liverpool 4-5th July 2024.

PPL of MCR | Recycling redundant festival tents and NHS textile waste to provide life-enhancing solutions for the homeless in Manchester. Futurescan 5 Conscious Communities, Leeds 7-8th Sep 2022. Poster & Zine exhibitied alongside PPL of MCR prototypes by MA FDT student Ruth Butterworth. Poster Design by Becky de Lacy & Helen Price. Zine co-authored by Becky de Lacy, Helen Price, Barbara Shepherd & Jane Wood.

Invited Discussions

Manchester Menswear Fan Club (M.M.F.C), an experimental, participatory research project. (De-Lacy, B., Kelly, R.) New Research in Dress History Conference. Manchester Metropolitan University, April 2023.

‘Interplay of Physical Half Scale Mannequin and 3D Digital Practices: Underpinning Sustainability in Fashion Education During a Global Pandemic’ _Co-author Becky de Lacy, Jayne Mechan, Adrian Thornton
Fashion and Climate Change Online Symposium
Manchester Metropolitan University
September 2021

‘Design Realisation in Fashion Education – Embedding Sustainable Approaches Through ‘Phygital’ Practices’_Co-author Becky de Lacy, Jayne Mechan, Adrian Thornton
Responsible Fashion: How Can We Make Our Ideas a Reality Online Symposium
Istituto Marangoni
November 2021