After leaving school at the age of sixteen Phil worked in a design studio within a factory in Leicester, the heart of ladies footwear in the UK. The factory produced ladies comfort fashion shoes (J.H.CLARKS).
As junior designer, he experimented with designs and worked with the head designer learning every procedure from design to the finished shoe. Whilst working for J.H.CLARKS achieved a distinction in city and guilds and BBSI, achieving top student in the UK.
After leaving J.H.CLARKS he joined P.J.PAFREYMAN as assistant designer when they were the top ladies fashion footwear factory in the midlands. Phil worked with and designed for the top fashion brands. After being with F.J.PALFREYMANS for five years he moved back to J.H.CLARKS as head designer overseeing a team of 8 designers.
Phil then became director and partners with SABRE SHOE, a brand-new footwear company. He later became the owner of this company, based in Leicester and making ladies fashion footwear for the multiples and - within five years SABRE SHOE opened a second factory. In 1995 Phil set up as a design and technical consultancy, travelling and working in Portugal, Italy and India but still based in Leicester.
In 2000 he joined DMU as a full time senior lecturer achieving a full teaching degree.