Next in the Graduate Spotlight series is MA History and Culture of Fashion (soon to be MA Fashion Cultures) student Paula Alaszkiewicz. Paula’s work is currently on show at the MA15 Exhibition which runs from 18th -22nd February.
Notes from MA History and Culture of Fashion graduate Paula Alaszkiewicz’s final project
LCF News: Tell us about your final piece of work?
Paula Alaszkiewicz: My final project, titled Sites of Sight: Vision and Space in the Labyrinth of Fashion Display is an 18,000 word dissertation that investigates museum fashion exhibitions in relation to a history of visual perception and architecture. It oscillates between institutions of cultural modernity – specifically the nineteenth-century museum, international exhibition, and department store – and contemporary fashion curation and museum-like displays in department stores. I approach fashion as a spatial practice that is interpreted in relation to the institutional and architectural space in which it is presented.
LCF News: Where did you study prior to your MA at LCF?
PA: I have a First Class Honours BA in art history with a minor in European history from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
LCF News: What are your future plans?
PA: My future plans are to continue working in museum or curatorial settings. I hope to undertake a PhD, which would expand the research I conducted for my MA dissertation, incorporating new contexts and considerations.
LCF News: How do you think the course will help you to realise these plans?
PA: The support and enthusiasm towards my research that I received from staff and students at LCF has given me the confidence to further pursue it and continuously push my thinking. My experience at LCF provided me with an understanding of how and where my approach fits within a larger field of study. I believe that such contextualisation and awareness will be invaluable when pursuing further academic research.
LCF News: What advice would you give to anyone considering studying an MA at LCF?
PA: I would advise those considering an MA at LCF to focus on the unique opportunities offered by studying at the college and university and by living in London. Pursuing these opportunities will be helpful in building networks, gaining experience, and participating in the rich culture of this city.
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