London Area, United Kingdom
Monique Lee Hylands-White is an experienced higher education leader with 15 years in academic management, quality assurance, operations, change management, and student experience enhancement. She has worked across UK and international institutions, delivering impactful initiatives to support academic excellence and growth. Currently Strategic Planning Partner in the Office of the Vice-Provost (Strategy) at UCL, she contributes to university-wide planning and decision-making, drawing on a 20-year career in the creative industries and entrepreneurship. Previously Director of Programmes and Executive Member at Jimmy Choo Academy, Monique oversaw provision across two campuses, leading programme development, curriculum design, and academic operations. As Principal Lecturer and Fashion Subject Leader at Coventry University London, she enhanced teaching quality and student outcomes. She has also taught at institutions including London College of Fashion, Shih Chien University, and Birmingham City University, covering subjects such as fashion entrepreneurship, management, marketing, PR, design, textiles, and styling. Her career spans higher education management, trend forecasting, sportswear innovation, branding, marketing, and design consultancy. She has led international projects with brands like HEAD China and InTime Retail, and managed 40+ social media channels with a combined audience of over 150,000. In 2013, Monique founded Monique Lee Millinery, known for its bold designs featured in VOGUE, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Tatler, L’Officiel, and over 300 publications. Her work has appeared at London, Shanghai, and Copenhagen Fashion Weeks, Sotheby’s, the Louvre, and EXPO Milano. She was a finalist in the MUUSE x VOGUE Talents Award, winner of the People’s Choice Award, and an official milliner for Royal Ascot 2018. She was also commissioned by 20th Century Fox for The Greatest Showman. In 2014, she founded X Terrace Fashion Platform to support independent designers through curated exhibitions, pop-ups, and shows across London, Paris, and Shanghai. X Terrace has collaborated with over 1,375 brands, engaged 11,000+ customers, and reached 1,370 media outlets. She also launched The Hat Circle (2020) and The Accessory Circle (2021), promoting global design talent, and curates London Accessory Week to celebrate independent brands worldwide.
Teach the Media Entrepreneurship module to BA Media students at the UCL Institute of Education, supporting students in developing entrepreneurial skills, creative business strategies and real‑world media innovation, cultural and creative industries projects.
I support strategic planning, data-driven decision-making, and institutional growth at UCL, focusing on student numbers, tuition fee setting, integrated planning, strategic project management, and new programme development. Working in the Vice-Provost (Strategy)'s office, I collaborate across faculties and professional services to align financial sustainability with academic priorities and drive impactful change.
Independent board member providing strategic oversight on governance, academic quality, regulatory compliance, brand, and long‑term institutional sustainability.
Appointed as the External Examiner for the BA (Hons) Fashion Management & Marketing programme at Richmond American University London. Responsible for ensuring academic standards, assessment integrity, and curriculum quality align with sector benchmarks and best practices. Providing independent oversight, feedback, and recommendations to support the continuous enhancement of the programme.
Appointed as the external examiner for the partner validation of the BA (Hons) Digital Marketing & Social Media and the approval of a new campus at Future Education University College (FEUC), UAE. Appointed as the external adviser for MA Design, Innovation and Brand Management programme revalidation at UCA Epsom School of Creative Business, Fashion and Enterprise. Appointed as the external examiner for the partner validation and new campus validation of the BA (Hons) Fashion at London College of Contemporary Arts (LCCA). Appointed as the external adviser for the Periodic Review and Validation of the BA (Hons) Fashion Textiles (Top‑Up) and the BA (Hons) Digital Marketing & Social Media at The Millennium Universal College (TMUC), Pakistan. Reviewing programme design, academic standards, and assessment integrity, with a focus on enhancing the student experience. Providing independent oversight and recommendations to support quality assurance, programme development, and institutional growth.
Monique Lee is an award winning MA Fashion Design graduate from London College of Fashion. All hats designed by her are hand-crafted in England since 2013. Her hat designs were featured alongside great artists Philip Treacy and Stephen Jones in over 200 magazine editorials, blogs, websites and newspapers including VOGUE, Vanity Fair (commissioned for Emma Watson cover story shot by Tim Walker), Tatler, L'Officiel, Brides, Another, Schon!, Independent, Evening Standard, Superior, Hat Magazine, HUF, Tirade, NO.3, On Feature, Racing Fashion, and others. Monique was also chosen as finalist by VOGUE Italia Senior Editor/ Talent Editor Sara Maino in MUUSE x VOGUE Talents Young Vision Accessories Award. She has won the People's Choice Award in VOGUE VTalents competition in 2014. She made commissioned hats for vocalist Eleanor Rose of Electric Swing Circus to perform at Glastonbury Festival. Later was invited to create masks for The Animal Ball organised by charity organisation Elephant Family. The masks were exhibited along with masks created by Cartier, Christian Louboutin, DVF – Diane von Furstenberg and Stephen Jones at Selfridges and Sotheby's London for VIP guests including Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, celebrities such as Cara Delevingne to view and choose to wear to the ball. Her collections were exhibited at Copenhagen Fashion Week, London Hat Week, Shanghai Fashion Week, Candid Arts Trust in London, and Birmingham Made Me Design Expo along with Harvey Nichols, MG and Aston Martin, at MAC Birmingham. Hats made for fashionistas, models and private clients to wear for Royal Ascot Royal Enclosure attracted attention from racegoers and the press including Royal Ascot Official, The Guardian, The Times, Evening Standard, The Independent, Telegraph, Sunday Mercury …40+ medias. She is also collaborating with fashion designers to make hats London Fashion Week runway shows and presentations.