Emma Clifton is a Lecturer in Fashion with Business at Glasgow Caledonian University, where she leads modules including Garment Realisation Intermediate, Fashion Design for Industry 2 and Foundations in Garment Realisation. She also contributes to a range of other courses across the department, supporting students in developing both creative and technical skills aligned with industry standards.
Prior to joining GCU, Emma was a Teaching Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, where she led pattern cutting curriculum development and delivery across multiple year groups. Her work included the integration of Clo3D digital pattern cutting and the facilitation of cross-disciplinary collaborations to explore digital fashion innovation.
Her creative and academic work has been recognised through multiple awards and exhibitions. She has received several institutional teaching award nominations and contributed to exhibitions such as Hidden Seams at Johnstone Textile Space, Layers Unseen, and Hidden Floors at the V&A Dundee, as part of the digital fashion collective Fashion Interrupted. Emma has also participated in events such as the Creative Tech Scotland Gathering and written for Disegno Journal.
Emma’s teaching approach centres on igniting and fostering creativity, experimentation, and technical excellence to support students in navigating the evolving landscape of the fashion industry.