Sasha Halsey

Sasha Halsey is a Lecturer in Fashion specialising in styling, beauty, image-making and creative direction, with a career that spans industry practice, editorial production, international showcasing and higher education. After completing my BA (Hons) in Fashion Styling, I established a professional career as a make-up artist, stylist and art director, contributing to publications and a range of creative agencies and brands. Sasha's professional experience includes keying beauty looks, working at London Fashion Week, supporting Universities at Graduate Fashion Week, art directing publications, leading editorial productions, and contributing to international events such as the Solent x DOW “Face of Innovation” runway presentation at K2016 in Düsseldorf.

Sasha completed an MA in Creative Direction for Fashion and Beauty, which enabled her to combine creative leadership, visual communication and research-led enquiry. Sasha subsequently transitioned into Higher Education to help shape the next generation of creative practitioners, to share her passion for fashion storytelling and image making, alongside industry knowledge and contributing to the development of contemporary fashion education.

Since joining Solent University, Sasha has taught across Levels 4, 5 and 6 on the BA (Hons) Fashion Styling & Creative Direction, BA (Hons) Fashion Photography and Image Production and BA (Hons) Fashion programmes, embedding industry knowledge, scholarly practice and technical expertise into the curriculum. Sasha leads modules in styling, creative direction, beauty and visual communication, and works as Level 5 Leader for Fashion Styling & Creative Direction, fostering a strong sense of belonging, confidence and academic identity amongst students. Her academic practice includes curriculum development, bridging the gap between theory and practice, assessment design, technical mapping and extensive pastoral support.

Sasha is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and serve as External Examiner for the MA Fashion Styling, Creative Direction and Digital Content courses at Istituto Marangoni London and Paris, enabling her to bring international perspectives and industry-aligned academic standards and HE frameworks into my work at Solent.

Sasha's research and knowledge-exchange activity spans fashion, beauty, digital content, IoT and emerging technologies, visual culture, and contemporary beauty narratives. This includes presenting “Concepts for IoT in Fashion and Beauty” in collaboration with IBM at Solent’s Research and Innovation Conference in 2017, contributing to the University’s externally published research “Punk Aesthetics vs Contemporary Beauty,” directing the anon family of publications both digital and print, leading international workshops, and producing public-facing media such as applicant portfolio preparation videos and fashion-focused podcasts.

Sasha is committed to equity and inclusion and serve as the elected UCU Equality Officer for Solent University, and has worked with UCU for the past 2 years. In this role, she supports colleagues across academic and professional services, contribute to institutional discussions on equality, and help to foster a fair, inclusive and supportive working environment for all staff.

Sasha's career reflects a sustained commitment to practice-led teaching, industry engagement, student success, equality, and the ongoing development of contemporary fashion education whilst embedding a focus on practice-based research, technical skill and industry knowledge.

Sasha primarily works as a Lecturer in Fashion, teaching across the BA (Hons) Fashion Styling and Creative Direction, BA (Hons) Fashion Photography and Image Production, and BA (Hons) Fashion courses, working with students throughout levels 4, 5 and 6. Designing and delivering lectures, seminars, workshops and practical sessions that reflect the creative, technical and conceptual demands of contemporary fashion practice. Sasha's teaching draws directly on current industry trends, professional processes and subject research to ensure that learning remains relevant, innovative and grounded in real-world application.

Sasha takes responsibility for planning, preparing and updating teaching materials, designing assessments, and coordinating delivery in line with the curriculum, UKPSF standards and School expectations. This includes writing briefs, developing marking schemes, contributing to moderation, and participating fully in the examination process and External Examiner meetings. Ensuring that all learning materials are current, inclusive and designed to support students’ creative, academic and professional development.

Alongside this, Sasha works as Level 5 Leader for Fashion Styling & Creative Direction, providing academic, pastoral and professional guidance as students’ progress through the course. Delivering transition talks, coordinate progression meetings, and support students individually and in groups, helping them develop confidence, a sense of belonging, and a clear understanding of progression routes within the discipline.

Sasha has sustained work and research on belonging, progression and the “Level 5 dip” which has informed her approach to learning design, pastoral support and feedback, ensuring that students feel supported and academically anchored during pivotal stages of their degree, and informed part of her focus in her FHEA.

Sasha's practice is embedded in real-world learning, and I consistently integrate professional methods, industry knowledge and subject expertise into the curriculum. This includes facilitating UDTs, organising extracurricular visits, coordinating industry-facing opportunities and aligning technical teaching with industry standards through close collaboration with Technical Instructors. Sasha maintains strong professional links through ongoing industry practice and engagement, which further strengthens the authenticity of the learning environment.

Sasha contributes to the wider development and enhancement of the curriculum through participation in validation, revalidation and quality assurance processes, including input into SFL mapping, curriculum design and technical mapping across levels. Sasha actively refreshes her subject knowledge and engages with external networks to ensure her teaching reflects ongoing developments in fashion, beauty, digital content and creative direction. Sasha's roles in producing public-facing content, such as portfolio preparation videos, the Fashion “…explained!” podcast and media campaign work also support applicant transition and strengthen the visibility of the Fashion subject area.

Assessment and feedback are central to Sasha's teaching philosophy. Providing clear, timely and constructive formative and summative feedback across written, verbal and digital formats, ensuring that students understand how to improve and progress. Conduct mid-module check-ins, progression tutorials and reflective tasks to track learning and support continuous development.

Sasha's contribution extends beyond the classroom. Regularly supporting open days, taster events and course marketing activities, supervising student projects and field trips, and assisting with placements and real-world learning experiences. She maintains a flexible and collaborative approach to teaching, working closely with colleagues across academic, technical and professional services teams to ensure high-quality delivery and a positive student experience.

Sasha's teaching practice is underpinned by industry experience, research and practice. Through this blend of industry engagement, pedagogic research, practical application and inclusive practice, she contributes to a vibrant, supportive and professionally orientated learning environment that prepares students for the demands of contemporary fashion industries and reflects the principles of excellent teaching and assessment within Higher Education.