I’m Alison,
an historian and maker.

I study fashion, craft, and design in the United States from the late nineteenth century to present day. In my research, I ask what objects and images can tell us about gender and class.

I’m also interested in how artifacts get made, how makers learn their craft, and how work is divided and organized. These interests are steered by my own background as a maker. As an undergrad, I studied fashion design at Pratt Institute and then worked as a womenswear patternmaker, followed by a stint as a 3D modeler in the jewelry industry. I eventually went back to school for a master’s in design history and material culture from the Bard Graduate Center; later I completed a PhD at Kingston University, London. Along the way, I worked at the Costume Institute in the Met and the Museum of Arts and Design, among other institutions. Today, alongside research, my focus is teaching. I’ve taught history, research, and studio courses at design schools in the New York area and Detroit, and in August 2023 I became an Assistant Professor of Design at California State University, Long Beach.