Staff

Nicky Vu graduated from the Masters Material Futures course at Central St. Martins, where he was specialized in fashion design and received trainings in trend forecast, communication design and sustainability. Besides fashion, Nicky also has interests and frequently works in graphic and research-led design projects.

During his time in London, Nicky has the opportunity to work and develop his skills in the industry from interning for fashion house GILES, mentoring young students in ‘Concept to Catwalk’ competition and working as a junior designer and product developer for independent fashion label MATAR. With his background in fashion design and production, Nicky co-found Nutsclub, a menswear fashion brand in Hanoi. In this establishment, Nicky works as a creative director, overseeing the design and development of all collections, as well as being involved in the business and marketing side of the company. With the education gained from prestigious institutions and professional experience from the industry, Nicky offers students a current perspective from the local and international market, and the knowledge in both the creative and production side of the profession.

Myles Cummings is a highly experienced design lecturer with a career spanning over 25 years in academic teaching at such esteemed institutions as Birmingham City University, the University of Greenwich in the UK, Raffles University Iskandar (Malaysia) and the University of Sharjah ( UAE).

He trained as an Architect and graduated from the Manchester School of Architecture but his career to date is multidisciplinary with crossover between architecture, interior, furniture, and exhibition design. He also has experience in the creative direction and production of multimedia projects, photography and 3d visualization and animation, and is the recipient of several awards for animation, photography and short films. Additionally his writing & photography has been published internationally in such journals as Urbis, New Design, and Computer Arts magazine.

In teaching Myles seeks to enthuse students with his own passion for design, whilst encouraging students to, above all else, be motivated by their own interests and curiosity.

Lin Jac is a practising graphic designer who has over 16 years’ experience in the creative industries with 10 years in design education. His encompasses all kinds of print communication ranging from brand identity, publication, environmental graphic, typography to social awareness projects. After graduating from Central Saint Martins, he gained experience working as a freelance designer in the UK, China and Malaysia. As Senior Lecturer, Jac ensured the teaching quality through constructive and effective approaches that promote a stimulating learning environment. His teaching focuses on promoting experimentation and risk-taking and encouraging studying graphic design through a combination of learning and teaching strategies so the students can have opportunities to learn, interrogate, debate and participate through questioning, thinking and making.

May has graduated from the University of Northumbria and obtained a Master degree in Fashion Design from the Nottingham Trent University. She’s been working in fashion industry since the year 2000 both for high-end labels as well as develop her own label in all areas including design, sales and marketing and production.

She has achieved many awards from fashion industry such as Green Business Award by Derbyshire Chamber of Commerce, Nottingham Creative Business Award by Nottingham City Council and shortlisted for UK Fashion Entrepreneur Award organized by the British Council.

May has taught students on fashion programs since 2004 in the UK and Indonesia and Thailand. She’s also been experience in International exhibition and international catwalk shows.

Donna Bramhall is the founder of vintage textiles business Spinsters Emporium and currently works as a freelance fashion textile designer HaberdasherMe.

Donna has studied all aspects of fashion design for over 10 years and has worked as a fashion designer in New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong and London. Donna now specialises on lecturing in research and development, portfolio presentation, fashion marketing and cultural studies.

Donna’s other areas of interest include ethical and sustainable practice in fashion education, and textile designs from around the world.

Evgeniia Ivanycheva is an interior designer with over a decade of experience specializing in diverse projects within the food and beverage, hospitality, and residential sectors across various locations and settings, with projects featured in esteemed publications such as SALON Interior and AD Magazine.

Coming from a theatrical set design background, she brings a unique perspective to her work, considering not only the visual aesthetics but also emphasizing factors such as acoustics, temperature, tactile experiences, and lighting scenarios, recognizing their significance in enhancing human well-being. Her teaching philosophy revolves around the idea that design should be purposeful, functional, sustainable, and relevant to its location and original intention.

As a creative professional, she values continuous learning and development. She has obtained certificates from Chelsea College of Art and Design and Milano Business School, where she completed the HORECA Project Design & Marketing program. She is currently pursuing a LEED Green Associate certification, further expanding her knowledge and expertise in sustainable design practices.

Evgeniia is a multidisciplinary artist exploring different kinds of medium and styles. As a creator, her objective is to explore the extraordinary nature of ordinary objects. She is currently living and working in Hanoi where has been creating using watercolors, photography, Al, and more.

Gilly Staples has been the Fashion Design Course Leader at Nottingham Trent University, UK. She is also an elected trustee at Graduate Fashion Foundation – a charitable organization established to find and support potential fashion designers with education and employment.

Gilly has many years of experience in teaching, developing, and managing Fashion Programmes at universities and institutions in the UK, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Her main teaching areas including Developing Fashion, Women’s and Menswear Design and Manufacture, Brand Management, Fashion Collection, Pattern Draping and Drafting, Sustainable Design, etc., Gilly also has been an external examiners at different universities, including Middlesex Univeristy, Univerisity for the Creative Arts, University of West London, Northumbria University, Manchester Metropolitan University, to name a few.

Vivienne Austin graduated from Central St. Martins and recently obtained a Masters of Arts degree in Fashion & the Environment at the London College of Fashion. She has taught fashion courses in various colleges and universities in the UK, including the Royal College of Art, Winchester School of Art (BA Course) where she mentored students developing their final collections for graduate fashion week (GFW).

Vivienne has been head designer at several ready-to-wear and sportswear companies in the UK and in the USA. Creating swimwear/active wear collections for an array of established companies ranging from large distribution groups, such as Sara Lee and Liz Claiborne in the USA, to exclusive high-end labels including the British heritage brand Liberty. She’s also worked as a design consultant for Courtaulds, a major supplier to Marks and Spencer and developed the first swimwear collection for the iconic brand ‘Biba’ for House Of Fraser.

Sam Murdorch graduated from London University of the Arts in Illustration. He is freelance illust director from Brighton, UK. Through his experience collaborating with UK agencies over the past had the pleasure of working with some well known brands and organisations. Sam started teaching at the London College for Design & Fashion (Hanoi) as Drawing and Illustra Sam has particular experience and interest in; Creative direction, commercial illustration, animat traditional), storyboarding, book cover design, logo design, graffiti, character design, mural painting, watching cartoons, drinking dark beer & napping in the sun.

Lesley-Ann O'Connell is a Fashion lecturer with 14 years of experience teaching and managing courses in the UK and internationally. She has held significant academic positions like Fashion Lecturer and Course Leader within further and higher education at renowned institutions such as the Amsterdam Fashion Academy, Leeds Arts University, and Liverpool John Moores University. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design from the University of the West of England and a Master's degree in Fashion Innovation & Realisation from Liverpool John Moores University. During her Master's program, she developed her own fashion company and collaborated with small and emerging brands.

Ms. Lesley-Ann has also worked as a Fashion Designer for high street fashion brands in the UK such as Next and Monsoon... and has exhibited her photography and illustration work nationally.