A fashion industry professional with wide and varied knowledge and experience. Business focus combined with a love for fashion and the people in it.

Healthy, well balanced lifestyle which includes work, lots of activity (yoga, running, swimming) and time for family and friends.

Academic and professional qualifications

Masters by Research. Manchester Metropolitan University March 2021
Post Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice (Merit) Manchester Metropolitan University 2014
Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Preston Polytechnic1982 Fashion

Noelle is a Senior Lecturer teaching across all levels from Foundation to Post Graduate. She is Programme Leader for MSC in Luxury Fashion Management and Pathway Leader for the Fashion Foundation programme. Specialising in sustainability, product development and fashion business she inspires students to produce excellent work by working collaboratively and building a relationship of trust.

Noelle’s research specialism is sustainability in the fashion industry, the pace of fashion consumption and the behaviour of fast fashion brands and consumers. She is also interested in developing specific skills and teaching format required to increase confidence and outputs of Foundation students. She is an active researcher and has presented at IFFTI and The Foundation Network conferences.

Previous Employment

Noelle worked within the fashion industry for more than 25 years in different roles and a variety of businesses. She was a Senior Buyer for a high street chain, managing a team and product category. Travelling extensively to build relationships source, negotiate and buy from suppliers in India, China, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Turkey.
Other roles included Head of Operations, Licensing Manager, Senior Account Manager and Designer.

Academic service (administration and management)

Deputy Division Head. Fashion Business Division. Manchester Fashion Institute. June 2022-present.

Manage and lead a diverse team of 13 staff, some who are new to teaching, some new to MMU, and others who have been here for several years. I identified and prioritised staff support and development as being the area with the greatest potential impact. I build trust by developing a community and providing stability, achieved through regular meetings, Probation & PDR focus, and recognising and rewarding successes. Lead the management of the ‘on – boarding’ and Probation period for new staff. Manage and support Professional Development Reviews (PDR’s) in line with department faculty and university strategic areas. 

PGT Admissions. July 2021-present.

• Manage the admissions process at programme level, in line with the Arts & Humanities Admissions Guidelines and the admissions tutor role as outlined in section 2.2.
• Act as the first port of call for programme related admissions/application enquiries. 
• Work closely with the faculty admissions lead and programme leaders to support communication between applicants, admissions colleagues and the programme teams. 
• Work with the Programme Leader to develop appropriate, course specific, portfolio/selection briefs.  
• Undertake the academic review of applications as required ensuring decisions are made and communicated within 48 hours.

Undergraduate teaching

Noelle’s teaching and supervision is underpinned by industry practice and current fashion and business trends, applying her extensive knowledge to the following programmes:-

• BA Hons Fashion Buying and Merchandising
• BA Hons Fashion Business and Management
• BA Fashion Promotion
• Fashion Foundation

Postgraduate teaching

• MSc Fashion Buying and Merchandising Management
• MSc Luxury Fashion management

Postgraduate research supervision

Completed: Supervised students on the Fashion Buying and Merchandising Management PGt.

Projects and initiatives

Outreach projects: September 2022. Workshop for Re-Think Fashion. Title: 'Small challenges can lead to big changes.' A discussion around how consumers can consume fashion more sustainably.

https://foxloweartscentre.org.uk/events/re-think-fashion/

Media appearances or involvement

Noelle regularly contributes to discussions about fashion and sustainability.

Appearances include BBC World Service – Business Matters (2020), Radio 4 – You and Yours (2019), Radio 5 Live (2019), BBC Radio Scotland (2019).

Prizes and awards

Nominated for Student Support initiative of the Year 2022. A University wide peer recognition incentive recognising both individual and team excellence.

'Colleagues work exceptionally hard to enhance the student experience, supporting our students to get the best out of their university experience and achieve their full potential through outstanding personalised support.  

This award recognises an excellent contribution to supporting our students at Manchester Met through the provision of student-focused support, which goes above and beyond expectations . Nominees will have shown a commitment to advancing and positively influencing the student experience through an initiative that  supports students personally, professionally or academically.'

Membership of professional associations

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).