Niki smiles to the camera. They have short blonde hair and wear a floral shirt and jacket.

Job title:

Lecturer in Design

Office:

R.02, Hunter Building

Office hours:

Mon, 9am - 12.30pm, Tues, 9am - 5pm, Thurs, 9am - 5pm

Biography

Niki is an educator, designer and fashion activist working at the intersection of design, sustainability, and community exploring regenerative systems and zero-waste practices in fashion and textiles. She teaches at Edinburgh College of Art and on the Msc Circular Economy programme at the Edinburgh Futures Institute.

Her practice is rooted in nature-centred design thinking, fostering creative approaches that challenge extractive industry norms while building value through circular, community-driven models such as clothing commons.

Deeply engaged in community practice, Niki is a Director at Remode Youth, where she empowers young people to develop creative skills and sustainable mindsets.  In 2014 she co-founded Fashion Revolution Scotland and continues to advocate for transparency, equity, and systemic change within the fashion industry. Her work bridges education, activism, and creative practice to reimagine fashion as a regenerative and socially just system. This voluntary work led to receiving an MBE in 2023 for the promotion of sustainable fashion in Scotland.

Niki is currently a Co-Investigator on Design HOPES, an AHRC-funded, design-led research initiative focused on enabling a green transition for NHS Scotland. The project forms part of the Design Museum’s Future Observatory and explores how sustainable design practices can be embedded across NHS Scotland.

Research interests

  • Regenerative Fashion & Textiles
  • Sustainable Design
  • Building Creative Communities
  • Clothing Commons
  • Circular Futures

Current PhD students

Related programmes