Ms Elli Young

Biography

Dr. Elli Michaela Young is a scholar whose research explores the confluence of culture, identity, and design within the Caribbean context. Her PhD explored the  ways Jamaicans have utilised fashion designed and produced in Jamaica to construct and perform their identities. Dr. Young employs a multidisciplinary approach in her scholarship, with a keen interest in decolonising histories of design. Her research ambitiously tackles not only the nuanced colonial legacies embedded in Caribbean design but also engages with the broader spectrum of Black Style, examining its role in the cultivation and expression of identity through fashion. Her chapter, “It was Jamaican Style, and They Didn't Have Anything Like That in England”: An Oral History of Self-fashioning, featured in Design, Displacement, Migration: Spatial and Material Histories, edited by Sarah A. Lichtman and Jilly Traganou, presents a compelling exploration of Jamaican self-fashioning and identity construction in the diaspora. Furthermore, in Patternmaking History and Theory, edited by Jennifer Grayer Moore, Dr. Young’s chapter, "Creolized Patternmaking: A Jamaican Perspective," delves into the intricate craft of Jamaican patternmaking. This work offers a critical examination of how traditional and creolised techniques in patternmaking have contributed to the broader narrative of Jamaican identity and style, underscoring the country's unique position within the global fashion landscape. Dr. Young's scholarly contributions, coupled with her active role in the Design History Society (DHS), The Caribbean Fashion and Design Research Network (CFDRN), underscore her dedication to advancing our understanding of the dynamic interplay between culture, identity, and design. Her work not only enriches the academic field but also fosters a deeper appreciation for the diverse cultural expressions that fashion and design embody

Teaching

FSH1904 Fashion History and Social Identity. The aim of this module is to encourage students think deeply about what fashion is, who makes it, and how it relates to wider society. Fashion is fundamental to understanding what it means to be human.

FSH2904 Fashion Cultures and Social Responsibility. The aim of this module is to encourage students to explore how contemporary debates, themes and concepts influence the material, visual, aural and oral cultures of fashion, challenging dominant historical narratives and unpicking fashion’s mythologies from a global perspective.

FSH3904 Visual Cultures Research Project Module. The module encourages students to explore research topics related to their own practice while fostering critical awareness and self-reflection on historical and contemporary contexts within their discipline. The course enhances primary and secondary research skills acquired in previous levels, focusing on identifying, analysing, and critically evaluating appropriate sources and research methods.