Neil Bottle is an academic, an active researcher and textiles designer with over 25 years' international experience in the fashion textiles industry. His work is held in collections throughout the world.
In 2009 Neil wrote, validated and set up the BA (Hons) Fashion Textiles degree at UCA Rochester, for which he is now the Programme Director. Neil also wrote and leads the our MA Printed Textiles for Fashion & Interiors course at UCA.
Neil’s academic and creative involvement with development of new degree-level fashion textiles courses at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (from 2007 to 2008) enabled him to take his research from a national to an international level.
From 2011-14 Neil was lead research academic for the Crysalis Textiles Regeneration project at Rochester. The Crysalis project was a three year project part funded by the EU through the European Regional Development Fund and the Interreg 2 seas programme, which supports cross border, cross regional collaborative projects.
The Crysalis Project was a collaboration between the University for the Creative Arts in Rochester, leading the way in digital textile development and engaging young entrepreneurs; Plymouth College of Art which has a many years of experience in education and crafts; International Center of Lace and Fashion in Calais, and TIO3 Textiles Open Innovation Centre in Ronse, Belgium, both of whom have a rich heritage of textile tradition and a strong focus on public engagement and entrepreneurialism.
In her review of his MA show Sue Prichard, Curator of Fashion & Textiles at the Victoria and Albert Museum, comments: “This relentless pursuit of the creative possibilities still to be discovered by a combination of the artisan with high tech applications is risk taking at its most exciting. Bottle delights in pushing the boundaries – this is a cause for both celebration and breathless anticipation for the future”.
Neil has completed a PGCE course and a part-time MA in Digital Design (with distinction).

- Contact
- + 44 (0) 1634 888 702
- nbottle@uca.ac.uk