Prof. Dr. Renate Stauss

Dr. Renate Stauss is assistant professor of Fashion Studies at The American University of Paris in the Department of Communication, Media and Culture. As a lecturer in fashion theory, and cultural and critical studies she has been working at a number of universities in London and Berlin since 2003: Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, Goldsmiths College, Esmod and the Berlin University of the Arts, where she remains an associate lecturer. She was part of the faculty at the Royal College of Art in London in the Department of Critical Studies for ten years.

Following her studies in Fashion Communication (BA) and Communication, Culture and Society (MA) Stauss completed her PhD on Dress as Therapy: Working with Dress on the Self in Therapeutic Settings (University of the Arts London).

The focus of her teaching and scholarship lies on the sociology and politics of fashion and dress, including the following subjects: relationships between dress and identity, fashion and politics (e.g. fashion under socialism, the relationship between fashion and capitalism), the emotional and sensory impact of dress, fashion for a sustainable world. Renate has published in the areas of fashion studies, fashion theory and pedagogy. Current research interests include fashion and politics, the perception and potential of fashion, the emergence of fashion theory, and fashion education – how we learn and teach fashion. She is the co-founder of The Multilogues on Fashion Education, and Fashion is a great teacher – The fashion education podcast and platform.