MA History And Culture Of Fashion
I have a long interest in social and gender history, and it is with this angle that I approached my studies in the History and Culture of Fashion. Prior to my studies at LCF, I studied History at the University of East Anglia, where I specialised in Medical History. My dissertation here looked at the training and expertise of Medieval and Early Modern female midwives, and the challenges they faced from male competition, contextualising their position with the social, religious and cultural values of the time. I have always been fascinated by old clothing and the way previous generations have lived. For me, clothing has been a gateway into this past world. This was my main impetus to studying the History and Culture of Fashion - to approach historical studies through the material culture of clothing and dress. Much of my work has focused on subcultural style, including the style of girl Skinheads and the use of subcultural references in Fred Perry's advertising. I have broadened my writing styles and disciplines by critiquing exhibitions, advertising, an original 1930s bias cut dress and discussing the motivations for contemporary home dressmaking. My interest in subcultural style manifested itself in my dissertation subject, where I addressed how vintage fashion is consumed in East London to differentiate and authenticate individuals from a perceived homogenous mainstream culture.