Design Anthropologist, Aude is Future Heritage Fellow and subject specialist for the MDes Future Heritage and Design innovation at the Innovation School. From her academic background and first career as the Director of the Textile and Fashion Museum in Cholet (France), Aude has developed a specific interest in the way the heritage informs society. As the Director of Fashion Studies at Heriot-Watt University (2013-2019), she has educated students in the creative potential of heritage. Specialising in Children’s material culture, she has completed a PhD addressing the socialisation of children through clothing in the Global North, based on the analysis of European Museum collections and contemporary fashion (Sorbonne University). As a curator and consultant for the industry, Aude explores innovative approaches to an inclusive, sustainable and participative heritage, with a specific interest in its creative interpretation. Her expertise in children’s co-creation of their material culture contributes to the strategic and prospective actions of the European Cluster Novachild. She has also been invited to contribute to the AHRC funded European network “Not only dressed” on children’s fashion heritage and its accessibility. Championing Public Engagement in all forms, Aude considers users and communities as the active catalysts of ground-breaking and impactful projects. This is pursued in her work as Co-Chair of the Young Academy of Scotland (RSE) where she contributes to the governance and programme tackling the Grand challenges faced by Scottish society. Advocating for innovative research impact in Design, Aude acts as a panel member (Sub-panel 32) of the Research excellence Framework 2021 (UKRI). Experienced educator, Aude is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Examples of Aude’s research portfolio can be found in the following funded projects:
- “Dressed for School” is a European project developed in partnership with the French National Museum of Education. This interdisciplinary research questions the interactions between children and their clothes in the School environment from the 19th century onwards in the Global North. “Dressed for school” has seen the emergence of a series of sub-projects in partnership with the industry, such as “Dressed for Homeschooling”, where children’s voice has been conveyed to inform their approach and interpretation of clothing to influence the design processes. The outcomes of “Dressed for School” will be presented in an exhibition and publication in 2023.

- IN2FROCC (international and interdisciplinary research network on children and clothing): Under Aude’s coordination, and funded by the European RIG Acorso, this group gathers together historians, anthropologists, sociologists, ethnologists, museum curators, childhood practitioners, designers, industry representatives and children, in an investigation into children's clothes across the globe, time and social ecosystems. This international and interdisciplinary network seeks to engage in an innovative, participative and organic manner with current research on children’s material culture and heritage. Contributing to the definition and implementation of the ethical charter developed by “Designing for Children’s Rights” (D4CR), this network aims to question the interpretation, representativity and accessibility of children’s clothing culture; conveying children’s voice in the interpretation of their clothes; fostering co-creation in the design of children’s material culture, and exploring the potential of clothing in children’s education.
https://acorso.org/en/childhood-and-clothing/
http://designingforchildrensrights.org/

2018 PGCap Fellow in Higher Education Academy
2016 PhD Art History, Fashion Anthropology, University of Paris-Sorbonne: “The socialisation of children through fashion and clothing from the 18th century onwards: Investigation in the public and private occidental museums’ collections and archives”
2000 Professional Certificate in Textile Studies, International Centre for Textile studies (C.I.E.T.A.)
1999 Postgraduate Diploma in Museum studies, Ecole du Louvre, Paris (with distinction)
1998 Postgraduate degree in Art History, Fashion Anthropology, University of Paris-Sorbonne: « Breton fashions in the 19th-20th centuries, through the collections of the National Folk Art Museum, Paris » (with distinction)
1997 MPhil. in Art History, Fashion Anthropology, University of Paris-Sorbonne: « Mourning dresses in the collections of the Fashion and Textile Museum, Paris » (with distinction)