Textiles and Masculinities

A Design History Society online symposium

The complex and evolving relationships between masculinities and textiles have been underrepresented in histories of design to date. This picture contrasts with the cultural and social importance textiles have in maintaining, contesting and performing masculinities. This online symposium will share international research on historical and contemporary textiles in global contexts. We invite researchers at any level who investigate some aspect of masculinities and textiles to submit an abstract (see details below).

Themes include but are not limited to:

- Fashion textiles and masculinities.
- Maintaining, performing or contesting masculinities through textiles
- Queer, non-binary and fluid gender identities and textiles.
- Masculinities, textiles and interior design.
- Decolonising textiles and masculinities.
- Textiles for menswear in fashion for all.
- Design, production and consumption of textiles and masculinities.

Due to the language limits of the organisers, the symposium will take place in English. We acknowledge that information/knowledge can be disseminated in different ways and so we are open to different presentation styles and formats.

To be considered for a 15-minute presentation, please submit a 300 word abstract and a 50-100 word biography to the DHS Senior Administrator Jenna Allsopp at
designhistorysocietygmail.com by 11 April 2024.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the submission within two weeks of the closing deadline.

If you have any questions about your submission, or the symposium please contact Dr Fiona Anderson, Glasgow School of Art at f.andersongsa.ac.uk.