Kelly Kirby

Kelly Kirby is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Moore College of Art & Design, specializing in cultural anthropology and filmmaking. Her research examines African fashion systems, visual ethnography, and socio-cultural issues including diaspora studies, equity, and accessibility.

Education:

• PhD in Socio-Cultural Anthropology, University of Michigan
• MA in Socio-Cultural Anthropology, University of Michigan
• Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies, University of Michigan
• BA in Anthropology (Archaeology concentration, African Studies minor), University of California San Diego
• Diversity and Inclusion Certificate, Cornell University

Research Focus: Kirby investigates the cultural significance of West African textiles like bazin riche, documents fashion ecosystems in Senegal, and explores how apparel practices intersect with identity, displacement, and gentrification. Her ethnographic film work includes studies of Black communities in Pennsylvania and Senegalese fashion entrepreneurs.

Publications: Her scholarship analyzes fashion as cultural communication, with recent works covering Dakar's fashion economy and African dress practices. Publications demonstrate consistent themes: material culture as resistance, decolonizing fashion narratives, and diaspora aesthetics.