Design Anthropologist, Aude is the Research Lead of the Mackintosh School of Architecture. From her academic background and first career as the keeper of the textile and fashion Museum of 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 to 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 design (Sorbonne University). Expert in her field, she has published extensively on this topic both in the UK and internationally. 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. Championing Public Engagement, Aude considers users and communities as the active catalysts of ground-breaking and impact-led projects. This is pursued in her work tackling the Grand challenges faced by Scottish society as Co-Chair (2020-2023) and member of the Young Academy of Scotland (RSE). Advocating for innovative research impact, Aude acts as a panel member (Sub-panel 32) of the Research excellence Framework 2021 (UKRI), assessor for Hong-Kong Polytechnic and member of the RSE Award committee. Peer reviewer, Aude contributes as an expert, friendly and formative voice to the research community, including in her work as book reviewer for the peer reviewed journal Costume (EUP). Experienced educator, Aude is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Example of Aude’s impact-led research 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 (https://www.reseau-canope.fr/musee/nl/connaitre/les-expositions/exposition/shabiller-pour-lecole.html ). 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; or “Tell me” based on 6-8 year old children’s interpretation of clothes as a communication medium. The research has appealed to French policy makers looking for insight into school uniforms in Europe, influenced the fashion industry in the way to approach children’s clothes, and demonstrated the importance of clothing as a learning tool. The outcomes of “Dressed for School” are currently presented in an exhibition at the National Museum of Education (10th June 2023 – 31st March 2024), in an edited book and in the up-skilling programme "Learning through clothes" for the French National Education Agency Canope.

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)