dr. Jane Tynan

Personal information

Jane Tynan is Assistant Professor of Design History and Theory with a background in cultural history and gender studies. She coordinates the MA Design Cultures program, teaches on the BA MKDA Design track and also contributes to the new BSc Creative Technology (VU-UT). In 2020, she joined VU Amsterdam from Central Saint Martins in London where she taught history and theory of design and developed the MA Fashion Critical Studies. Alongside extensive experience in curriculum design, course development and external examining, she is a Fellow of Advance HE (formerly HE Academy, UK) and has been visiting lecturer at Goldsmiths University of London, Royal College of Art London, University College Dublin, University of Oxford and Amsterdam University College. Jane has supervised 6 PhDs to completion and welcomes new graduate students working within her areas of expertise.

Current PhD students:

Lisa Sneijder, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (FWO-funded)

Ronja Duwe, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NWO-funded)

Research

My research lies at the intersection of history, fashion and politics. For me, clothing practices and technologies are critical to understanding material ecologies, body cultures and the ethics of everyday life. One strand of my research concerns the social, political and historical significance of uniform clothing in policing, military and public service roles. I am also interested in design practices - clothing, graphic art and political ephemera - within social and political movements.

Another strand concerns recent histories of climate-adaptive clothing. In my latest project I consider whether material practices of weather-proofing are symptomatic of social relations in the Anthropocene. As PI on the NWO-funded 4-year project “Synthetic Adventures: (un)sustainability and (dis)comfort in the design, making and use of outdoor clothing” (2026-2029) I lead a small team exploring cultural drivers for the growth of outdoor clothing consumption in the face of complex environmental problems. We examine developments in water-resistant synthetic textiles, how they transformed expectations of leisure clothing and shaped perceptions of everyday weather. Cultural imaginaries of comfort and security, reflecting distinct styles of living in the Global North, frame this investigation into the relationship between climate and clothing.

My research has reached wider audiences through blogs (The Conversation, RTÉ Brainstorm), TV and radio interviews (BBC UK, ABC Australia) podcast interviews (New Books Podcast), articles (Selvedge Magazine, BBC History Magazine) and media communications (NRC, The Independent, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, BBC News, CNN, Middle East Eye, National Geographic). I am co-editor of the Palgrave Studies in Fashion and the Body book series and served on the editorial board of Journal of Design History. In addition, I joined the editorial team commissioned to develop Palgrave Handbook on Fashion and the Body due to be published in 2028.

Ancillary activities

Palgrave Studies in Fashion and the Body | London | co-editor | 2020-09-16 - present

Ancillary activities are updated daily

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Art and Culture, History, Antiquity

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