Alumna Claire Fitton’s co-founds award-winning Uniform Design Consultancy

Enterprise
Claire is wearing a smart white blouse with jeans. She is sitting at a wooden table with a folder of designs. She is focused and writing.

Claire Fitton was drawn to the Multimedia Textiles course at Loughborough. She found a space that encouraged her to explore fashion, interiors, materials, and processes, without the pressure to specialise too soon. She graduated from the course in Fashion and Textiles in 2006 - we chatted to her to find out how her studies at Loughborough kickstarted a career in the fashion industry.

Four people at a Three phone shop wearing a grey t-shirt which is a uniform at the shop with black jeans.
Uniforms by The Uniform Consultants.

The diversity of the course shaped her collaborative mindset and broadened her design perspective:  

“Loughborough was truly unique in what it offered... Being surrounded by that breadth of talent and ideas was incredibly inspiring. It taught me the value of collaboration, of learning from others, and of approaching design from multiple perspectives.” 

A short pattern-cutting programme run by Loughborough’s technicians became a turning point. This sparked Claire’s love for fashion and her excitement at seeing designs move from concept to garment:  

“That spirit of experimentation gave me the confidence to think differently, to take risks, and to see creativity as something without limits.”  

After building a successful career in corporate wear and workwear, Claire became fascinated by how clothing shapes identity and communication within organisations. This led to the founding of The Uniform Consultants, a business she co-founded in August 2023 which marked a key milestone in her career: 

“From the beginning, our goal was to combine creativity and strategy to design uniforms that truly elevate a brand while empowering the people who wear them.” 

She added:  

“Uniforms are far more than just workwear; they express values, influence confidence, and bring people together through a shared sense of purpose.” 

The Uniform Consultants are award-winning uniform designers. They have extensive experience in designing for hotel, retail, transport, sporting events, hospitality, workwear, financial, beauty and healthcare markets. The team has previously worked on well recognised brands such as Barclays, Argos, Vision Express, Center Parcs, Nando’s, 3 Mobile and the Hilton.  

Claire encourages students to embrace the business side of design: 

“If you feel that entrepreneurial spark, follow it. Learn about how things work behind the scenes - from business strategy to communication and leadership. Seek mentors who challenge you and surround yourself with people who share your passion for making things better.  

“And most importantly, don’t wait until everything feels ready. Start now. Test your ideas, refine them, and keep moving forward. Some of the best ideas are born from asking a simple question: What if we did this differently? That’s how The Uniform Consultants began - with a desire to challenge convention and make space for creativity in a world that often plays it safe.” 

Find out more about The Uniform Consultants.