Naomi A Austin

I graduated from Northumbria University with a BA (Hons) in Fashion Marketing before going on work as a successful men’s and boy's sportswear designer for high profile companies including Reebok, Hi-Tec, Matalan, Umbro, and Marks and Spencer.

I've worked as a Lecturer on BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Promotion at the University since January 2014. Before coming to Sunderland, I was Course Leader of the highly rated Extended Diploma in Fashion and Clothing at CCAD (now Northern School of Art) in Middlesbrough.

I continue to work freelance and commission illustrations for a variety of different clients. After seeing my work on an artists’ website, Martin Dawber contacted me and asked to include a number of my illustrations in his best selling book 'The Big Book of Fashion Illustration'.

In June 2018, I saw my first book published to critical acclaim. With a foreword written by architect and TV presenter George Clarke, The Call of the Sea is a fully-illustrated 288-page hardback book which depicts the shipbuilding heritage of Sunderland through to the Tall Ships Race of 2018. It also features my own story of being a sail trainee on the race. In late 2018 my book won the Maritime Foundation Mountbatten Award for Best Book - Certificate of Merit and a signed copy of the book was presented to the Princess Royal when she visited Sunderland in July 2018.

I am extremely enthusiastic when it comes to passing on my experience of fashion design and illustration, especially using the computer packages, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator and when I have any spare time, I love to draw, creating beautiful, realistic images with an element of magic to them!