Joanne Gibson

Jo graduated from Southampton Solent University with a BA (Hons) in Fashion Promotion. Since graduating Jo has worked in various roles within the fashion industry, including public relations, trend forecasting, sourcing and buying. The majority of Jo’s experience is within retail buying for high street fashion and homeware businesses including Monsoon and River Island.

Jo has experience in product development, sourcing and trading across several product categories including accessories, outerwear and home interiors. She spent several years focusing on product development and business strategy for an international home improvement company. Working within their décor department she developed ranges for international markets and worked on creating unique product for the business. This involved travelling regularly to Europe to understand the market, visit vendors and explore tradeshows.

Jo joined the fashion lecturing team in early 2019. She completed her Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (PGCLTHE) in 2020, and went on to earn a distinction in her MA in Visual Communication, which she completed in early 2025. Her MA project focused on reconnecting with nature to promote sustainability, using plant and mineral-based dyes alongside eco-photography. Selected work from the project was exhibited at the Brighton Photo Fringe OPEN Eco Exhibition.

Jo’s research is grounded in ethics and sustainability within the fashion industry, with a particular focus on supply chain transparency and traceability, local sourcing, regenerative farming, and the role of place in sustainable fashion design and production.

She is a member of the Art, Environment and Social Change research group at Solent University and is currently engaged in a project exploring regenerative, place-based textile production as a means of restoring the human–nature relationship through clothing.

Jo integrates her industry experience and research interests into her teaching practice, with a strong commitment to real-world learning. She has developed and led numerous live briefs in collaboration with industry partners and leading fashion retailers, providing students with valuable, hands-on experience.

At Solent University, Jo teaches across all levels of the Fashion Management undergraduate programme. Her areas of specialism include fashion buying, product development, business and marketing strategy, international retail management and marketing, as well as sustainable and ethical practices.

An advocate of active learning, Jo fosters a collaborative classroom environment where students engage deeply with subject content and participate in activities that mirror real industry scenarios. She holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education with distinction and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).

Jo’s creative practice is closely aligned with her research interests, particularly in sustainability and our relationship with the natural world. Her MA project, Field Studies: Artifacts of Place, explored themes of reconnection with nature through the use of plant and mineral-based dyes and eco-analogue photography techniques. The project examined sustainable approaches to visual communication, and selected works were exhibited as part of the Brighton Photo Fringe OPEN Eco Exhibition.