Occupation: Instructor, Pratt Institute, Collections Manager of the Parsons Fashion Study Collection, fashion historian and former Amy Flurry intern
Current Location: New York
Instagram: @historyalamode
What is your job title and role?
I’m a part-time instructor at Parsons School of Design and the Pratt Institute, where I teach a variety of courses on fashion history, culture, textiles, and research methods. When I’m not teaching, I work as the Collections Manager of the Parsons Fashion Study Collection, which is the university’s vast archive of historic garments and accessories that were donated to Parsons by The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. I also serve as a course coordinator for the Parsons AAS Fashion Marketing and Communication program as well as a career advisor for students in the Parsons MA Fashion Studies program. When I’m not working on campus, I also do a lot of freelance writing and am an associate editor of The Fashion Studies Journal, so I tend to keep pretty busy!
How did you get here?
Once upon a time, I studied Fashion Merchandising at the University of Georgia and dreamed of becoming a fashion editor and stylist. After making the bold leap to New York after graduating in July 2009, I was lucky to land some great editorial internships at DailyCandy and Refinery29 and later took a position working in the advertising department at New York magazine. After two years and a lot of soul searching, I realized that my lifelong passion had always been fashion history, and that the only way to get a job working in that field was to get a master’s degree. I started the MA Fashion Studies program at Parsons School of Design in Fall 2012 and have been a happier person ever since. However, despite having found my true calling, I soon realized that competition for jobs in museum, archives, and other academic fields is just as competitive as those in fashion journalism.