A nationally known fashion and race expert to speak in Buffalo State

Wednesday, April 5, 2023 11:15 am

Kimberly Jenkins, founder, director and chief researcher of the Fashion and Race Database, will share her expertise on issues of inclusion and social justice in the fashion industry on Thursday, April 13 at Buffalo State University’s Lorusso Alumni and Visitor Center. A question and answer session will follow. Her lecture is free and open to the public.

“Kimberly Jenkins is a sought-after figure in the field of fashion activism — focusing on issues of decolonization and decentralization in fashion,” said Keunyong Oh, Buffalo State chair and professor of fashion and textile technology (FTT). Arranged Jenkins’ campus tour. “As a cultural historian and professor of fashion studies, she has produced an extensive body of research on the topics of race, identity, and fashion.”

In addition to overseeing the Fashion and Race Database, a comprehensive online resource documenting the intersection of fashion and race across cultures and historical periods, Jenkins has taught at Parsons School of Design, New York’s Pratt Institute, and Toronto Metropolitan University. Ryerson University) in Canada. She has been a guest lecturer at several other institutions, including Harvard University.

Jenkins has worked as an educational consultant for Gucci in Milan and Hong Kong to support the high-end designer’s cultural awareness efforts. Her work has been featured in publications and outlets such as Vogue, The Guardian, Washington Post, NYLON, Saturday Paper, Refinery29, Fashionista and The Root. She has contributed her expertise to numerous other publications, including the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and W Magazine.

“In my search for scholarly works on fashion racism, I found Kimberly Jenkins’ name in several prominent publications, which serves as a testament to her outstanding work in the field. “We hope that Ms. Jenkins’ talk will help both students and adults learn more about the systemic roots of racism in the fashion world.” They also re-examine how fashion hierarchies are intoxicated by the globalization and capitalism of the fashion industry.