ABOUT US
Annotating Fashion sits in the gap between traditional online fashion media and academic journals.
The Manifesto
Annotating Fashion sits in the gap between traditional online fashion media and academic journals. It is a platform dedicated to democratising fashion academia and changing the trajectory of fashion media.
We are here to dismantle the notion that fashion is merely about “just” clothing, consumerism, and aesthetics—shifting the focus to something with substance.
Our goal is to remove the Eurocentric/Western and elitist narratives that surround the industry and to break down the barriers to academic knowledge.
By exploring fashion through the lenses of sociology, history, and culture, we help uncover the "why" behind what we wear and how it shapes our society and identity.
The Work:
Through critical essays, a comprehensive bibliography, interviews, and deep dives into the fashion publications of the past, we are shaping a new era of fashion discourse.
By providing these tools, we bridge the divide between theory and practice—ensuring fashion academia is no longer an exclusive resource, but a collective one.
Why does it exist?
Annotating Fashion grew out of a belief that when we understand the why, we dress better, consume with more intention, and see fashion as the social and cultural phenomenon it truly is.
Currently, access to fashion studies is often gated behind the hallowed halls of academic institutions. Meanwhile, mainstream fashion media remains dominated by aesthetics and consumer-led content that reinforces narrow, Eurocentric narratives and fashion systems.
Annotating Fashion exists to bridge that divide, making rigorous fashion discourse accessible to everyone.
Why subscribe?
We want everything we create to bring knowledge, fuel creativity, spark conversations, and provoke change. We want this platform to be a definitive resource—for students, industry professionals, fashion hobbyists, and cultural explorers alike.
Whether you’re signed up for the free newsletter or you’re a paid member, you are supporting the work of an independent researcher and writer. Your contribution allows us to maintain a space that is free from advertising and censorship—prioritising substance and readers over sponsors.
Meet The Founder
Michaela is an independent fashion researcher and writer based in North London. A 2017 graduate of the London College of Fashion in Fashion Media, her background is rooted in the independent scene—having written for platforms including Rebel Magazine, THRDS, Style LDN, and Pigeons & Peacocks during her studies.
In her former life, Michaela ran a copywriting studio for sustainable and circular fashion brands. But the seeds for this platform were sown during her final years of university, where she first fell in love with fashion theory.
Finding herself less interested in writing about fashion purely through the lens of consumption and aesthetics, she felt a pull toward work that blended style with the social and cultural theory behind it. And it was form here that the idea for Annotating Fashion was born.