Clothing and textile archives are fascinating places. Although, as a fashion historian, you might expect me to visit archives as part of my research, they're also very useful places for designers to look for inspiration. Even more so now that many museums have extensive online catalogues with images, available from anywhere in the world, but... Continue Reading →
Every December since 2011, I have been publishing an annual list of people who have had positive impact on my life in the previous 12 months and, in my opinion, deserve an award for their greatness. These are the super humans who have shaped my life and brought me joy and inspiration - I want... Continue Reading →
I'm currently volunteering one day a week at UAL's Archives and Special Collections Centre (ASCC), based at London College of Communication in Elephant & Castle. This week, I got to join one of the tours given to students. The tour took place in the search room, which is where visiting researchers sit to explore the... Continue Reading →
Starting a long and tiring week going through the contents of every dusty box in the room didn't fill Jenny with joy. Of all the things she loved about her job, this was the part that felt the most arduous. Ahead of her were days of lifting each container down from its shelf, comparing the... Continue Reading →
Five years ago today, I published a blog post about starting a part-time Master's course. A lot has happened since then and I've, understandably, been spending some of my time post-graduation looking at how this qualification could lead me to a new career path. After finishing my first degree, I had absolutely no idea what... Continue Reading →
Building on the research I did as part of my MA at London College of Fashion, I have a few exciting talks coming up in the autumn that will give me a chance to share my knowledge. On Saturday 17th October 2015, I will be presenting at the Costume Society's study day, held annually at... Continue Reading →
One of the many things I picked up during my MA course at London College of Fashion was a love of archives, so being introduced to fascinating places to undertake research now comes reasonably high up my list of Awesome Things. Therefore, you can imagine my joy when I opened up an email from a... Continue Reading →
As part of the research for my MA dissertation, I headed to Leeds earlier this year to visit the Marks & Spencer Company Archive. Housed in the Michael Marks Building on the University of Leeds campus, the archive contains more than 70,000 items from the company's history, including clothing, packaging and company documentation. On my... Continue Reading →
I've always had a fondness for old clothes. Whether I'm looking through my mother's lovingly saved garments, rummaging in a vintage shop or browsing an antique market, touching a piece of the past has always been my most powerful window into history. Whilst looking at images of what people used to wear is fascinating; being... Continue Reading →