Dr Sonja Andrew

Profile

I’m an Associate Professor in the School of Design. I have experienced supervisor status for PhDs at the University of Leeds, and UK and international experience as a PhD examiner. My main areas of teaching and research focus on textiles and fashion and I have a range of experience in UG/MA programme leadership and programme validations.

Responsibilities

• Deputy Director of Postgraduate Research Studies, School of Design

Research interests

Crossing the disciplines of design, semiotics and narratology, I employ the creative process as a mode of research inquiry. My main research focuses on textile semantics, communication and cultural memory, exploring multi-modality through visual and tactile communication on cloth, and the influence of context on audience/user perception. As a practice-based researcher, my work was selected for an AHRC Image Gallery Award and publication in their book ’Beyond the Trenches, Researching the First World War’ in addition to selection for a range of international exhibitions including an excellence award at the Lausanne to Beijing International Textile Biennial. I review academic papers and publish in the field of textiles and fashion, with two book chapters ‘The Decoded Lab’ and ‘Hybrid Materials:Textile and Paper Intersections’ due for publication in 2025.

I’m currently working on funded projects exploring ‘Arts-Based Approaches to Decolonising Palaeontology’ collaborating with Dr Fiona Gill (School of Earth and Environment) and a range of external partners, and developing new projects with this group to communicate the connections between earth science, textile production and post-consumer textiles to external audiences. I’m a Network Expert in the UKRI NERC funded ‘Back to Baselines in Circular Fashion and Textiles’ research project and also a nominated member of the DARE working group which provides guidance on the strategic direction of the partnership between the University of Leeds and Opera North.

Qualifications

• PhD, Central Saint Martins
• MA, Central Saint Martins
• BA (Hons) Multi-Disciplinary Design
• FHEA

Professional memberships

• DARE Working Group (June 2023 onwards)
• Board of Trustees of the Textile Society (2013-2017)
• Conference Director for the Textile Society (2013-2017)
• Fellow of The Higher Education Academy

Student education

I teach a variety of subjects across textiles, fashion and visual/material studies. I deliver teaching to first and final year undergraduates and supervise MA and PhD students. 

Current postgraduate researchers

• Eddie Bowes