Kathleen Horton

Kathleen Horton is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Design at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Faculty of Creative Industries, Education & Social Justice. She is co-leader of TextileR, a research group focused on sustainability in the fashion industry, and has held leadership roles including Head of Discipline (Fashion) and Director of The Stitchery Collective. Her work bridges academic research, education, and community engagement in fashion, ethics, and sustainability.

• Master of Philosophy (Queensland University of Technology)
• Master of Arts (Research) (Queensland University of Technology)
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Visual Arts (Queensland University of Technology)

Kathleen Horton's research is grounded in feminist and critical theory, focusing on the ethical and gendered dimensions of fashion production and consumption. Her work explores sustainable fashion, the cultural economy of independent design, fashion curation, and the role of creative practice in revaluing post-consumer textile waste. She emphasizes material methods and community-based research, often integrating artistic practice with academic inquiry. Her teaching includes DFB102 Fashion Communication, DFB206 Global Fashion Cultures, and DFB305 Critical Fashion Studies.

Her recent publications reflect a strong trajectory in critiquing fast fashion, examining digital activism, and reimagining circular economies in textiles. Themes include the feminisation of ethical responsibility, symbolic value in craft, and Indigenous sustainable fashion. Her interdisciplinary approach connects fashion with art, social justice, and environmental sustainability.

Kathleen has successfully supervised multiple doctoral and master’s students, with research topics spanning gender representation, fashion curation, and the cultural economy of fashion. She has secured grants from national and state funding bodies to support socially engaged fashion projects. Her leadership extends beyond the university through her role as Chair of The Nest Community, supporting a women-led circular textile economy, and her past service on the advisory board of the National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme, which contributed to national policy development.

Her research is deeply collaborative, often involving partnerships with artists, communities, and industry stakeholders. Through TextileR and The Stitchery Collective, she fosters interdisciplinary and socially responsive design practices. Her work consistently challenges dominant fashion paradigms and advocates for more ethical, inclusive, and sustainable futures in the industry.