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About Buddy
Buddy Penfold is an Associate Professor in Knit and Deputy Head of the School of Design Innovation in the Faculty of Arts, Design and Humanities at De Montfort University. With more than 20 years of service at the institution, she has progressed through roles including Subject Lead for Contour and Textiles, senior lecturer in Fashion Design, and Head of International for the Faculty of Arts, Design and Humanities. Currently, she serves as an elected Academic Staff Governor on the Board of Governors, a member of the Academic Board, and Teacher Fellow. Penfold holds qualifications including BA, BSc, PGCert, MA, and MEd in diverse teaching methods. She studied Fashion and Textiles at Liverpool Art College, where she was awarded Royal Society of Arts and Government sponsorship as a designer for industry, and completed her MA at the Royal College of Art. Prior to joining De Montfort University, she worked as Design Director at Burnley PLC, leading strategic creative development in the fashion sector.
Penfold's academic interests focus on textile design education, aligning fashion and textiles curricula with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, block teaching models, digital transformation in fashion education, diversity within the curriculum, craft and community engagement, and online teaching of practical subjects. Her key publications include 'Transforming Textile Design Education: A Block Teaching Model' (2025, co-authored with Nicholas Rodgers), contributions to International Foundation of Fashion Technology Institutes (IFFTI) proceedings such as 'Developing a Responsible Culture: Aligning Fashion and Textiles Education with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals' and 'The Ongoing Development of the Creative Communities', and a chapter in 'Consumer Awareness and Textile Sustainability'. An Advance HE Education Academy Fellow, she has delivered international workshops, public lectures, and student industry engagements. Additionally, Penfold is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters, Director of Penfold Consulting Ltd, and external examiner for MA Fashion and Textiles at the University of Derby.
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