Dr Eunsuk Hur

Profile

Eunsuk Hur is an Associate Professor of Sustainable Fashion in the School of Design at the University of Leeds. Her research focuses on sustainability, the circular economy, and future studies within the fashion and textiles sector. Through interdisciplinary research, she draws on co-production, social innovation, fashion psychology, cultural studies, and community-based research to explore how environmental, social, economic and cultural perspectives can be integrated to support the transition towards more sustainable fashion systems.

After completing her Master's degree in Textile Futures at Central Saint Martins and a PhD in Sustainable Fashion at the University of Leeds, she joined the School of Design in 2013. Prior to joining academia, she worked in the fashion and textiles industry for more than eight years in a range of professional roles encompassing creative direction, trend forecasting, management, and business development.

Research Project Grants & Awards

• 2021–2022: Rebirth Fashion: Community-based collaborative consumption (Principal Investigator), ESRC Impact Acceleration Account Responsive Mode
• 2021–2022: Leveraging social innovation for sustainable fashion consumption: The roles of social media for sustainable local communities (Principal Investigator), Interdisciplinary Research and Impact Fund for Culture
• 2019: Rebirth Fashion (Principal Investigator), Ignite 9 funded project from the Cultural Institute
• 2014: Development of Communication Skills for Multidisciplinary Research-Transferable Skills Activity (Co-Investigator)
• 2011: The JB Speakman Travel Bursary: School of Design University of Leeds
• 2009–2012: 3-year PhD scholarship: School of Design, University of Leeds
• 2010: Future Form, Sponsored by Jotta Magazine, The Trafalgar Hotel Window display, The Trafalgar Hilton Hotel, London.
• 2009: Selected for CASAMICA’ Talent Scouting: Milan Design Week, September
• 2009: Selected for the CSM Contemporary Collection 2009: Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design, London Art and Design University
• 2005: Konkuk University, Graduate School Dean's Award for Distinction (South Korea)
• 2000: Sunmi Design Contest, Special Selection Award (South Korea)

She serves as a reviewer for a number of academic journals, including Sustainability (2018–present), Research Journal of Textile and Apparel (2021–present), Qualitative Market Research (2023–present), Fashion and Textiles (2024), Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy (2023–present), International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education (2021–present), Designs (2020–present), Journal of Brand Management (2018–present), Critical Studies in Men's Fashion (2021–present), The Journal of Sustainable Practice (2020), and Utopian Studies (2017).

Responsibilities

• Programme Lead, BA Sustainable Fashion (2024–Present)
• Research Group Leader Fashion Marketing and Management (2021-2024)
• Module Leader (2013-present)

Research interests

Her research interests cover the following areas:

• Sustainable Fashion: Her research explores how community activities and social innovation can foster more sustainable lifestyles. She also examines how emerging technologies and policy interventions can facilitate sustainable consumption practices for both local and global communities.
• Circular Economy Practices: Collaborative consumption and circular economy practices are among her key research interests. Her work focuses on fashion consumer behaviour, consumption processes, and how innovative products, services, and business models can support more sustainable practices within the fashion sector.
• Strategic Foresight and Innovation: Her research also extends to futures studies, exploring how foresight into market, social, technological, and environmental trends can inform sustainable strategies and innovation.
• Fashion and Culture: Her research examines the revitalisation of cultural heritage and the promotion of sustainable art and craft practices to support artisans and local designers in the fashion and textiles sector. She is also interested in cultural design processes, products, and practices.
• Developing Inclusive Co-Design Practices: Her research explores how design can support marginalised communities and contribute to a more sustainable future. She works with local communities, non-profit organisations, and small and medium-sized fashion enterprises to develop more inclusive and collaborative design practices.

Professional memberships

• Fellow of Higher Education Academy (2016-Present)
• Member of Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (2016-current)
• Member of the Academy of Marketing (2017-Present)
• Member of the Korean Society of Fashion Business (KSFS)
• Member of Textile Exchange

Student education

Dr Hur is currently the Programme Leader for the BA Sustainable Fashion programme. Her teaching responsibilities span both undergraduate and postgraduate education, with particular expertise in sustainable fashion and the wider fashion and textiles sector.

She currently leads and teaches the Sustainable Fashion and Sustainable Fashion Strategy and Innovation modules. Over the past ten years, she has also led and delivered a range of marketing and management modules, including Fashion Trends and Forecasting, Fashion Marketing, Fashion Marketing Major Project – Research, and Fashion Marketing Major Project – Realisation.

Completed PhD Supervision

• Dr Jihye Park (2021). Development of a cultural design framework for fashion and textiles: The application of Korean folk painting (Minhwa). PhD. Main Supervisor.
• Dr Jianan Hu (2025). Designer–artisan co-design for value co-creation: Case studies of the Chinese traditional textile sector. PhD. Main Supervisor.
• Dr Junbeom Pyun (2025). Cross-cultural responses to animal ethics in fashion advertising: A study of Generation Z in the UK and South Korea. PhD. Co‑Supervisor.

Current postgraduate researchers

• Jun Pyun
• Jianan Hu
• Chunlu Zhang
• Laurie Corbel
• Anwen Dong