BIO
Elisa Palomino is currently a Research Associate in the Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Arctic Studies Center. Since 2012 and until 2023 she was the BA Fashion Print Pathway leader at Central Saint Martins and member of University of the Arts Textile Future Research Centre (TFRC). She has an extensive history of working across educational institutions including international universities, museums and galleries. Her training has been working in the Fashion Luxury industry for 25 years at brands such John Galliano as Head of the Studio and Christian Dior, Roberto Cavalli, Moschino and Diane von Furstenberg. In 2010 she launched her own label Elisa Palomino showing for 5 consecutive seasons at New York, Milan, Rome, Madrid and London fashion weeks. She has a teaching portfolio in a number of locations around the world such Polimoda, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Iceland University of the Arts, San Francisco’s Academy of Art University, FIT, Shenkar University, Bunka Gakuen, IED. She has sat on a range of international committees includingInternational Talent Support (ITS), Mango International Fashion Competition, Remix and Bilbao Arts and Fashion. Elisa has pioneered the adoption of sustainable practices into the Fashion Print education curriculum at CSM and has developed best practice between craft and digital design.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Elisa’s research focus is inter-disciplinary, within the context of sustainability, integrating traditional craftsmanship methods with new technologies, keeping in mind the importance of environmental, ethical, and social impact of fashion products. Her research is informed by experience as a Fashion designer for luxury brands. Her research critically examines the historical and contemporary importance and application of materials craft and then, in the context of a practice-based case study, investigates future development of the craft to disseminate best practices of material craftsmanship in the field of fashion design and higher education for social change and sustainability. Her research aims to activate new models for sustainable textiles encouraging artisans to continue to produce craft and to pass their skills and knowledge onto others, particularly within their own communities. Her research involves interdisciplinary and collaborative research between different countries connecting academic research with the industry fashion sector through research consortiums to enhance innovation and help build sustainable material products. Recent research roles include: Recipient of Fulbright Scholar Award: ‘Arctic Fishskin clothing traditions’ at the Smithsonian Institute. EU Horizon 2020-MSCA-RISE: Fish Skin a Sustainable Raw Material; Fish skin leather in the luxury Industry supported by the EU COSME WORTH partnership project; Nordic Fish Leather craft platform supported by The Nordic Culture Fund; Ainu Fish leather craft platform supported by The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation & The Japan Foundation Endowment Committee.
KEY EXPERTISE
- Sustainable Design
- Craftsmanship
- Intangible cultural heritage
- Material Innovation
- Textiles
- Fish Skin
- Participatory Design
LINKS
Contact: palominopereze@si.edu
Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4496-3701
Elisa Palomino: http://www.elisapalominoconsulting.com
Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center: https://naturalhistory.si.edu/research/anthropology/programs/arctic-studies-center
Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz – Max-Planck-Institut: https://www.khi.fi.it/en/institut/mitarbeiter/palomino-elisa.php
Koç University Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations (ANAMED): https://anamed.ku.edu.tr/en/elisa-palomino-2/
Max Planck Institute for the History of Science: https://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/research/projects/edge-land-and-ocean-arctic-indigenous-peoples-and-fish-skin
Fondazione Giorgio Cini: https://www.cini.it/istituti-e-centri/civilta-e-spiritualita-comparate
Kluge Fellow Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/programs/john-w-kluge-center/scholars-in-residence/past-resident-scholars/p-r/
European Union’s Horizon 2020 Marie Skolodowska-Curie FISHSkin 823943: https://www.fishskinhorizon.org/
Fulbright UK US Scholar: https://fulbrightscholars.org/grantee/elisa-asuncion-palomino-perez
Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts: https://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/view/creators/Palomino=3AElisa=3A=3A.html
Central Saint Martins Sustainable Fashion: https://responsiblefashioncsm.wordpress.com
LCF Centre for Sustainable Fashion: https://www.arts.ac.uk/colleges/london-college-of-fashion/stories/lcf-phd-researcher-profile-elisa-palomino-fish-skin-as-a-sustainable-alternative-to-leather
LDoc London Doctoral Design Centre: http://ldoc-cdt.ac.uk/elisa-palomino/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisa-palomino-phd-7040a110/
Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Elisa_Palomino
Academia: https://ual.academia.edu/ElisaPalomino
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fishskinlab/
https://www.instagram.com/elisapalominop/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Elisaapalomino