Clare Lopeman is a British Fashion Designer, Researcher and Educator, with over 20 years of pedagogical and professional experience both nationally and internationally. 

She is a graduate of The Royal College of Art and Central St Martins, and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her work has featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Style Bubble, The Pop and Another Magazine.

Described by Susie Lau as ‘Spying through English Eyes’ Clare launched her debut collection as part of the British Council’s ‘British Designers Day’ at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Moscow.

Clare started her career as a designer for international studios and luxury fashion brands, designing bespoke, crafted textiles for La Perla, Calvin Klein and John Rocha amongst others. Clare developed her passion for education, establishing and leading London based academic courses as well as designing Fashion and Textile professional short courses and bespoke consultancy programmes for industry clients such as Paul Smith at the London College of Fashion.

In 2008 Clare established the first international BA (Hons) Fashion Design Degree Programme in Russia at the British Higher School of Art & Design. She introduced a sea-change to the academic landscape, building a prolific, globally connected, ambitious and dynamic fashion design department unlike anything seen in Russia before.

Under her creative direction and leadership, the course has nurtured a generation of future facing fashion designers, entrepreneurs and creative disruptors that have redefined the international perception of fashion design in Russia.

With Graduates attracting press coverage in British Vogue, The Calvert Journal, Dazed Digital, i-D,  L’Officiel, The New York Times, ShowStudio, The Guardian, Vogue Italia and Vogue Russia Clare’s alumni have made a global impact.

In September 2020 Vogue Russia placed a piece from a graduate collection on its special edition digital front cover. 

Clare’s alumni include Maria Jahnkoy shortlisted for the LVMH prize and Forbes ‘30 under 30’, ZDDZ, Alisa Kuzembaeva, OPW and NastyaMasha. Clare’s alumni have gone on to dress Lady Gaga, Rita Ora, Irina Gorbacheva and Kyle Jenner and worked with Adidas Originals, David Koma, Eudon Choi, Gareth Pugh, Giles Deacon, Mary Katrantzou, Richard Quinn, 12 Storeez, Tigran Avetisyan and Vika Gazinskaya.

Take a look at the  instagram feed to see examples of student & graduate work.

Clare is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is regularly invited to collaborate on academic, creative and cultural initiatives within the fashion industry, liaising with organisations such as the British Council, Garage Centre for Contemporary Culture, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, Museum of Moscow, Russian Fashion Council, Elle Russia, Russian Fashion Theory and Vogue Russia.