Aix-en-Provence

This past summer, I had the amazing opportunity through the VCUarts Fashion Merchandising program to study abroad for three weeks in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France. VCU partnered with the Institute for American Universities to deliver a culturally engaging course on Mediterranean Textiles. The course was taught through a mix of in class lectures and site visits that allowed the students to spend time with textile theory and history, as well in person exploration of the craft and business side as well. Our syllabus included two books: Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years by Elizabeth Wayland Barber, and The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History by Kassia St. Clair. These texts provided a deeper understanding of the connection between textile history and the Mediterranean area, with reading worksheets due each class. Throughout the course, we were also tasked with an independent textile journal, consisting of interactive assignments in the city of Aix-en-Provence that further pushed our understanding of the local market.

What I most enjoyed throughout my time in Aix was the different site visits to local textile workshops and historic museums that focused on fashion history. As an aspiring curator myself, it was really amazing to see a wide variety of institutions that displayed so much history in my specific area of interest that I would not have otherwise seen at home in Richmond. I’ve always wanted to study abroad, and this program solidified my desire to pursue a career in fashion history. Our final projects were a topic of our choice relating to the content of the class, giving way for many different areas of interest to be explored. I landed on the topic of Culture vs. Commercialization: 18th Century France. Inspired by Barber’s perspective in Women’s Work, I looked at the intersection of the cultural context of creating textiles and how that relates to the merchandising and commercialization of those textiles. Studying this topic in a historically rich and relevant area has inspired me to go further with my research, fostering a genuine passion for cultural anthropology through the lens of clothing.

My trip to Aix-en-Provence has forever altered the way I view the world, and I could not be any more grateful for my time, experience, and education I received there. From the fascinating books we read, to the exploratory journal assignments, and hands on experience, this class has unmistakably proven itself as a foundation to my future research and work in the museum field. Below you can browse through some pictures I captured during my time in France, highlighting the beauty of their textiles and city.