Emeritus Professor
Suzi Derbyshire

Biography

Prof Suzi Derbyshire has 25 years' experience of teaching and leadership in higher education both in the United Kingdom and Australia, and is the recipient of a number of teaching excellence awards in recognition of her work in fashion education and academic leadership.  In 2008 she was a member of the expert reference group for the Federal Government Review of the Australian Textile, Clothing and Footwear Industry, and in 2010 she became a member of the Queensland Design Council. Prof Derbyshire is originally from the United Kingdom, and completed her fashion training at Central St Martin’s School of Art in London. She began her career as a freelance womenswear designer, then for a decade worked as a womenswear designer in London and Hong Kong. In 1995, Prof Derbyshire returned to the United Kingdom as a design lecturer, and later, as Course Director of the BA Design Technology for the Fashion Industry at the London College of Fashion. There, she led and managed the college’s degree course in menswear, womenswear, surface textiles for fashion, and accessories. Prof Derbyshire migrated to Australia in 2002 to become the inaugural Head of Fashion within the Creative Industries Faculty at QUT. She remained in that role through to 2007 when she became Portfolio Director for Fashion, Journalism, Media and Communication at QUT. In 2011 Prof Derbyshire was appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) at QUT. In 2015 Prof Derbyshire achieved the status of Principal Fellow of The Higher Education Academy.