Rebecca E. Schuiling

Rebecca E. Schuiling is an Academic Specialist and Teaching Professor in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at Michigan State University. She previously worked as a knitwear designer and designer for Dillard’s Department Store before entering academia. Her teaching emphasizes industry experience, experiential learning, and LdL pedagogies, covering courses like Explorations in Apparel and Textile Design, Knitwear Design, and History of Dress and Textiles. She coordinates internships for the Apparel & Textile Design (ATD) program and leads a study-away program to New York City.

Her research focuses on knit materials as a medium for artistic expression, particularly through the lens of popular culture. Ongoing projects include a book on 20th-century knitwear in popular culture, presented at international conferences. She explores topics like David Bowie’s knit collaborations, feminist textile activism, and pandemic-era fashion practices.

Rebecca’s work bridges art, fashion, and social studies, with exhibitions in Slovenia, research in Portugal/France/Italy/Thailand, and participation in international design workshops in China. Her artist statement highlights addressing gaps in the role of knit in fashion and art history.