Torunn Kjolberg

Dr Torunn Kjolberg is Lecturer in Fashion Studies and the module leader for Fashion Cultures 1 and 2, Fashion in Context 2 and the dissertation module for BA (Hons) Fashion Design, BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion and BA Fashion Marketing and Retail Design. After working for several years in the fashion industry she returned to higher education to explore design from a theoretical and historical perspective and gained an MA (distinction) in Design History and Material Culture. During this time she was also able to pursue her interest in fashion museum curation. After her MA she gained a fully funded studentship to pursue her PhD research into visual research in fashion and textile design education. This was a collaborative project between the V&A, the RCA, RIBA and the University of Brighton, completed in 2012.

Trustee, executive committee, The Design History Society (2009-2013)
Co-convenor (with Dipti Bhagat) of the annual Learning and Teaching Design History Workshop (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
Co-convenor of the annual Postgraduate Design History Society Symposium 2007- 2009

Workshops:
“The role and use of archives and collections in teaching and learning design history” Design History Society Learning and Teaching workshop, 18 September 2013

“Problematising the pedagogy of visual research”, Bucks New University, 17 December 2012

“Teaching writing in design history: Writing in the Disciplines”, Design History Society Learning and Teaching workshop, 7 September 2012

History of dress and fashion
Art and design pedagogy
Visual research in fashion and textile design education
Museum interpretation and display (with emphasis on dress and textiles)
Museum collections and material culture as creative sources for designers and design students
Ethnic and national identity and dress (Sami indigenous identity and material culture)

Fellow, Higher Education Academy
Learning and Teaching Officer, The Design History Society
Founding member, Brighton Postgraduate Design History Society

Home dress-making in a post-war context
Burda Moden magazine
Women, dress and work
Pedagogy in fashion and design education.
Research methodologies in fashion and textile design
Clothing as material culture
Approaches to display and interpretation of fashion and dress in museums.