Academic and professional qualifications

I am a Senior Lecturer on the BA Fashion Design and Technology programme at the Manchester Fashion Institute, MMU, specialising in design process, research methodologies and portfolio communication. My expertise includes sports and performance wear with a focus on user centred and co design process.

As a unit leader and sportswear lead, I have worked to develop both the UG and PG curriculum and secured student centred projects with external stakeholders and international brands, including Puma, Woolmark and the National Football Museum, to promote working within a professional context.

I gained a PG Certificate in Academic Practice and was awarded Fellowship of The Higher Education Academy in 2017. I am currently External Examiner for BA Fashion Design at the University of Central Lancashire.

Previous Employment

Prior to joining the Manchester Fashion Institute Sarah held academic positions on the BA (Hons) Fashion Design programmes at the Manchester School of Art and the University of Central Lancashire. 

Sarah has over 15 years’ experience within the fashion industry, including design consultancy roles with Kangol, Doc Marten's and Henri Lloyd and senior design positions with sportswear brands Reebok and the Adidas Group, working across Europe, the US, Asia and South Africa.

Undergraduate teaching

Senior Lecturer on BA (Hons) Fashion Design & Technology.

Postgraduate teaching

Senior Lecturer on MA Fashion Design & Technology.

External examiner roles

External Examiner for BA (Hons) Fashion Design at University of Central Lancashire

Projects and initiatives

RKE Project: Re-kit: Upcycling Manchester City football shirts to reduce paediatric distress and anxiety in hospital.

A cross faculty KE initiative to develop innovative new hospital gowns, created from Manchester City shirts and donated to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, with the aim of helping and supporting the experience of children undergoing treatment and care.

The pilot project was a collaboration with the hospital, Manchester Fashion Institute at Manchester Metropolitan University and HMPPS.

Exhibitions

Strip! How Football Got Shirty exhibition at the National Football Museum, Manchester (Nov 2019 to present)

Exhibition Contributor: Strip! Show. Panel discussion exploring issues of identity, sustainability, design and gender tied to football shirts. The discussion forms part of the in-house and online exhibition, Strip! 

https://nationalfootballmuseumstrip.com/strip-show-the-expert-panel/

Prizes and awards

BA (Hons)

PGCap

FHEA

Other distinctions

Fellow of the Higher Education Authority (FHEA)

Research

Research Interests

I am currently working towards a PhD

Research Interests: football, fandom, identity, experience, action and memory

Academic collaborations

Shepherd, B; Collins, S (2021). ‘Rekit - Upcycling redundant Manchester City football shirts to reduce paediatric distress and anxiety in hospital’.

Conference Paper: Iffti 23rd Conference, Pearl Academy India.

Sports Engineering Day, Manchester Metropolitan University, March 2018
Seminar presentation: User Centred Design: A Framework for Student Practice

Venkatraman PD;Velusamy V;Kharel R;Collins S (2016). 'Smart wearable biosensor for non-invasive real time detection of sweat lactate using compression garments'. 

Conference paper: 90th Textile Institute World Conference, Poznan, Poland, 26 Apr 2016 - 28 Apr 2016. 27