Dr. Claire Ferguson

Biography

Claire joined Edinburgh College of Art in 2009, playing a crucial role in establishing the knitwear component of the fashion department. She is currently the lead tutor for the third year, teaching across fashion design and knitwear tailoring, and she works with fourth-year students focusing on knitwear final collections. Claire also works as a freelance knitwear designer, collaborating with major design brands and independent designers. She completed her BA (Hons) in Textile Design with a specialization in Knitwear at Heriot-Watt and later earned her Master's in Fashion Womenswear Knitwear from the Royal College of Art. Claire gained experience in New York, where she designed Women’s Collections in Knitwear for Calvin Klein before returning to the UK. Here, she taught Knitted Textiles at Duncan Jordanstone College of Art and Design and served as a visiting lecturer at Gray’s School of Art while developing her freelance client base. With extensive expertise in developing collections and creating unique fabrics, she established her label, Ferguson, which specializes in knitted accessories and secured funding from the Scottish Arts Council to support its growth. Her collection has been exhibited and sold across the UK. Claire continues to work as a freelance designer alongside her role at ECA, and her own practice heavily informs her teaching, bringing a wealth of knowledge gained from industry experience into creative innovation in knitwear, fabrics, and fashion design.

Research Interests

Courses