From emotions to memories: Clothing heritage and childhood

Aude is Reader in Design Anthropology and Research Lead at The Glasgow School of Art. From her academic background in fashion history and her career as curator and director of the French Textile and Fashion Museum, she has developed a particular interest in the ways clothing shapes society. Specialising in children’s material culture, she completed a PhD at the Sorbonne University, addressing the socialisation of children through clothing from the 18th century onwards.  

As a consultant and researcher, Aude has been involved in the coordination of international and interdisciplinary funded projects, including Dressed for School and IN2FROCC. She also develops innovative approaches to inclusive, sustainable, and participative heritage, with a specific interest in creative interpretation. Aude is co-chair of the funded network ACORSO – Body and Appearances (University of Lille 2, France). She serves on the board of Designing for Children’s Rights, where she advocates for children’s inclusive material culture. 

Laetitia Barbu is a designer and design researcher working at the intersection of design, sustainability, innovation, and cultural heritage. Through her practice at Illustrious Lab and Ark-Ellia Design, and in collaboration with universities and research institutions, she explores how material cultures, craft knowledge, memories, and lived experiences can inform more sustainable and inclusive futures. Her work combines design research, participatory methods, and creative practice to investigate how people engage with objects, stories, and places, and how these relationships shape cultural meaning. Collaborating with researchers, cultural institutions, and communities across Europe and the North Atlantic region, she examines how heritage can serve as a catalyst for innovation, generating insights that inform future research, design processes, and new approaches to cultural participation, social engagement, and environmental challenges.