"The Fashion And Textiles Education archive has given me a new perspective on material culture and the importance of highlighting sociologically and ethnographically diverse items, coming from various backgrounds that face the risk of historical marginalisation. I continue to gain a further appreciation of material culture from a holistic approach.

Supporting Clare Spencer in the context of academia introduced me to an area that I was fascinated with. It encouraged me to look at fashion not just through a contemporary lens but to deeply explore its history, and I keenly continue this exploration in my career. Assisting on writing a syllabus, researching course material for lectures, and conducting interviews strengthens my journalistic skills and teaches me about nuances of academic publishing amongst other details.

I am thankful for being given the opportunity to deliver a guest lecture at University of California Davis about Crimean Tatars: an indigenous group in my home country, Ukraine as I was able to offer valuable information on a major social issue with global ramifications. I analysed the Crimean Tatars’ material culture in conjunction with explanations about their history and the repeated threat of ethnic cleansing at the hands of the USSR and now Russia. In my own practice I seek to continue to tell impactful and relevant stories balancing analysis of material culture with historical narrative and using my knowledge of languages to offer a variety of perspectives."