Lucy Norris

Female

Berlin

Germany

Profile Information:

Profession / role:

Anthropologist

Company / organisation:

University College London

My primary role in relation to fashion is:

Other

I am looking to discover or buy

contacts working on sustainabiliity and recycling in India;

About me / About business or organisation:

I am an anthropologist researching textile recycling in India. I have carried out work on local systems of recycling Indian clothing, and looked at how second-hand saris are traded and transformed into Western fashion and home furnishings.

I am now researching the industrial recycling of imported second-hand woollens and acrylics in north India, an industry that is transforming our old jumpers and coats into colourful blankets for the local population and for aid agencies.

I am also interested in ethical issues and fair trade as they apply to small-scale businesses in India, and am completing a research project into the prospects for the textile industry in north Kerala in which the value of ethical fashion could be important for local cooperatives and businesses.

Career history / Company history:

I worked at the Horniman Museum in London for many years, before going to UCL to study postgraduate anthropology. I completed my PhD in 2003 on the recycling of clothing in India, which is about to be published by Indiana University Press. I am interested in material culture theory, issues concerning waste, recycling and sustainability, and innovative textile technologies.
I have also carried out a project in India with Tim Mitchell, a photographer, and curated an exhibition at the Horniman Museum of his images of Indian recycling systems.

Comment Wall: