Part of an extensive student-led initiative, this first of two '199Z: Diversity Revisisted' events addresses the complexities of diversity discourses in the fashion industry and material world.
These events aim to give a platform to a (insufficiently-crossed) bridge of discussion between academic research and the fashion industry on how to support diversity in an appropriately complex and advanced manner that avoids applying a 'buzzword effect' to the concept. Supporting diversity in this sphere takes many forms: from exploring artistic expression in material culture to interrogating the power struggles over opportunities within professional networks. With a wide range of academic and industry panellists these discussions aim to cover such forms, grounding academic research in the phenomena of an industry with an understated impact on the every-day of society.
Dr Mukulika Banerjee is Director of LSE's South Asia Centre and an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology. Mukulika's socio-politico focus in anthropology has lead to a rich variety of research, notably her 2003 book The Sari which explores how a simple piece of wrap-around cloth has survived social change and emerges as a choice for millions of women across South Asia.
Professor Sandy Black is a Professor of Fashion and Textile Design and Technology at the London College of Fashion. Originally the designer/director of her own internationally-sold knitwear label, Sandy's academic research now focusses on inter-disciplinary design-led research, in the context of sustainability. She also founded the academic journal Fashion Practice: Design, Creative Process and the Fashion Industry.
Professor Ben Voyer is a Visiting Lecturer at the LSE's Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Department, a Professor at ESCP Europe Business School, with a background in Marketing - including for the fashion industry. As a behavioural scientist, Ben's research and over 150 academic publications, book entries and presentations focusses on how self-perception and interpersonal relations affects behaviour.
Dr Joanne Entwistle is a Reader in Cultural and Creative Industries at King’s College London, with an extensive research background in the sociology of fashion. They have published two books, whilst co-running the research programme on material culture Configuring Light with Dr. Don Slater at LSE Cities. Their research focusses more specifically include embodiment, cultural work, processes of cultural meditation and aesthetic labour.
Dr Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas is an Inaugural University of the Arts London Teaching Scholar, and Course Leader for the BA (Hons) of Fashion Marketing at LCF. Originally a partner at an award-winning and internationally successful childrenswear company, they afterwards worked as a teacher and studied in Hong Kong. Their current research addresses issues of cultural heritage, city-branding, social entrepreneurship and sustainability
Dr Don Slater is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the LSE, specializing in the sociology of material cultures and technologies. Having published 6 books on the subject, he has also conducted extensive ethnographic research, including for UNESCO, and leads a research programme called Configuring Light with projects that have extended to Latin America and Europe.
Established in 1904, the Department of Sociology @LSEsociology at LSE is committed to empirically rich, conceptually sophisticated, and socially and politically relevant research and scholarship. Building upon the traditions of the discipline, we play a key role in the development of the social sciences into the new intellectual areas, social problems, and ethical dilemmas that face our society today.
Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSE199Z