Monica Sklar

Monica Sklar is an Associate Professor and Curator of the Historic Clothing and Textiles Collection at the University of Georgia, affiliated with the College of Family and Consumer Sciences and the Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors. She holds a Ph.D. in Design-History & Culture from the University of Minnesota (2010).

Education:

• Ph.D. in Design-History & Culture, University of Minnesota (2010)

Research Interests:

Dr. Sklar’s work focuses on subcultural identity formation through dress, museum digitization practices, and post-custodial archiving. Her research explores how aesthetics, production, and consumption shape communities, particularly in late-20th century U.S. subcultures like punk. She also investigates metadata frameworks for improving accessibility to cultural heritage collections.

Articles Overview:

Her recent publications analyze punk fashion’s cyclical influence, user experience challenges in museum archives, and Syrian clothing preservation. Key themes include cultural heritage preservation, digital humanities applications, and the intersection of fashion with consumer behavior and identity.

Awards & Grants:

• Recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Student of the Year Award (2010, University of Minnesota)
• UGA Jr. Faculty Research Grant, Pasold Foundation, and Willson Center funding

Advising & Grants:

Mentored multiple graduate and undergraduate students in research projects, including those winning Costume Society of America awards. Active in securing institutional and private grants to support her work.

Labs/Teams:

Curates the Historic Clothing and Textiles Collection at UGA and leads initiatives like the Inter-Institutional Archive Search Portal. Serves as Vice President of Education for the Costume Society of America, advocating for diversity and educational outreach in fashion studies.