Fashion & Animals is an interdisciplinary project that (re)examines the relationship between animal-based clothing, fashion and dress and conceptions of ‘human’ identity. Focusing on several material-based case studies, including leather and fur, and spanning a wide-ranging time frame from the mid-18^th century to the early 20^th century, it responds to recent calls within the field (and beyond) by adopting a more ecological-based approach to the study of fashion history and taking into account the non-human entities from which such fashions were made.

Fashion & Animals has three main aims: first, to call attention to the significance of animals (including often overlooked 'domestic' species) within the history of fashion and dress. Second, to help expand the field by integrating new methodological approaches to the study of animal-based clothing, including recent developments in scientific analysis. And third, to help bridge gaps between curatorial and conservation-based practices by fostering research collaborations and rethinking the analysis, interpretation and museological display of animal-based fashion.