Dr. Nkumbu Mutambo
Dr. Nkumbu Mutambo
- Lecturer, Researcher
- ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3118-0070- Job Title
- Lecturer, Researcher
- School or Academic Area
- School of Innovation and Technology
- School or Academic Area Supervised for
- School of Innovation and Technology
- N.Mutambo@gsa.ac.uk
- Professional Address
- Altyre Estate, Forres IV36 2SH.
Biography
Nkumbu is a design innovation lecturer and researcher whose work explores how creativity can shape culture and contribute to positive social change. Grounded in fashion and textiles, her research examines how knowledge and lived experiences, particularly those emerging from the peripheries, can help imagine and create more equitable futures. Through her PhD research, she investigated the role and meaning of heritage for fashion designers, engaging with questions of history, memory, dress, and identity. Drawing on experience across interdisciplinary projects in the creative and cultural sectors, she continues to develop work that centres sustainability, transformation, and socially responsive design
Research Interests
My research interest cover a range of interrelated topics:
Heritage and future making
Sustainability and circularity
African Fashion cultures
Responsible design innovation
Decoloniality
Grants
Project: Podcast Research project
Date: November 2022
Role: Co-I
Amount: £5991
Funder: Northumbria University
Co-I on a bid for pilot study exploring role of a podcast in supporting and enhancing research culture.
PGR Supervision Interests
I'm interested in supervising work that explores:
The role of heritage in creating equitable futures,
De-colonial approaches to sustainability and circularity, and
African Fashion cultures
Teaching
I'm a lecturer teaching Design innovation and Regenerative Systems design
Latest Additions
- Mutambo, Nkumbu, James, Alana M., KeChi-Okafor, Chimdia, Irving-Munro, Abigail, Peirson-Smith, Anne, Namdeo, Anil, Prendergast-Miller, Miranda, Sheridan, Kelly J., Stanton, Thomas and Gallidabino, Matteo (2026) Science-led design for sustainable fashion futures. In: Sustainable Design in Fashion and Textiles. Routledge, London. ISBN 9781003638148
- James, Alana, Peirson-Smith, Anne, Mutambo, Nkumbu, Nicolson, Suzanne, Wetherell, Sophie and Irving-Munro, Abigail (2025) The Care and Repair Guide: Reducing Environmental Impact and Addressing Skills Gaps in Responsible Wardrobe Management. Proceedings of the 6th Product Lifetimes and the Environment Conference (PLATE2025) (6). ISSN 2794-9540
- Peirson-Smith, Anne, Wetherell, Sophie V, Singer, Erica, James, Alana, Irving-Munro, Abigail, Mutambo, Nkumbu and Nicolson, Suzanne (2025) Repairing and regenerating the community: A study in activating garment repair initiatives with stakeholders at local level. Proceedings of the 6th Product Lifetimes and the Environment Conference (PLATE2025) (6). ISSN 2794-9540
- Mutambo, Nkumbu, Peirson-Smith, Anne, KeChi-Okafor, Chimdia, Irving-Munro, Abigail, Sheridan, Kelly J., Prendergast-Miller, Miranda T., Namdeo, Anil, Stanton, Thomas, Gallidabino, Matteo D. and James, Alana (2024) Mapping the Environmental Impact Assessment Landscape in the Fashion and Textile Industries: Critical Gaps and Challenges. Sustainability, 16 (19). p. 8377. ISSN 2071-1050
- James, Alana M, Mutambo, Nkumbu, Sheridan, Kelly J, Prendergast-Miller, Miranda and Rogers, Abbie (2024) Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration Challenging Microfibre Fragmentation in the Fashion and Textile Industries. In: Microfibre Pollution from Textiles. CRC Press, pp. 331-348. ISBN 9781003331995
