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Faculty Experts

Joe Hancock

Joseph Hancock, PhD

Professor, Department of Fashion Design, Department of Design

Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design

Expertise:

fashion

branding

retail

Contact:

joseph.h.hancock@drexel.edu

215.895.6993

Joseph “Joe” Henry Hancock II, PhD, came to Drexel’s Department of Design having a 20-year retail operations, branding, merchandising, consumer behavior and strategy background. He has worked for such companies as The Gap Inc., The Limited Corporation and Target Corporation. For over six years, Hancock has run a conference planning and management business where he serves an the executive director. He has published internationally and is a well-known authority in the area of fashion branding, retailing and merchandising as a form of storytelling. He has lectured and taught courses at University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, London College of Fashion and at Stockholm University. Has been an invited speaker at Cornell University, The Ohio State University, Albright College and the University of Delaware. He has an BS and MS from Indiana University, Bloomington, in Apparel Merchandising and received his PhD in 2007 from The Ohio State University in Consumer Sciences.

For news media inquiries, contact Emily Storz at els332@drexel.edu, 215.895.2705 (office) or 609.351.3592 (cell). 

In the News

  • Who Killed Cargo Shorts?

    Joseph Hancock, PhD, a professor in Westphal College of Media Arts & Design was a guest on the podcast "Every Little Thing" from Gimlet Media on Oct. 16 discussing his dissertation on cargo shorts and the history of cargo shorts. 

  • The Alt-Right Co-Opted Polo Shirts. Is it OK to Wear Yours?

    Joseph Hancock, PhD, a professor in Westphal College, was quoted in an Aug. 22 story in The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) about alt-right groups co-opting white polo shirts as an unofficial uniform.

  • Trump Accuses Amazon of Doing ‘Great Damage’ to Retailers

    Joseph Hancock, PhD, a professor in Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, was quoted in a an Aug. 16 NBC News article about President Trump's accusation of e-commerce giant Amazon doing great damage to retailers.

  • Retail Wreck? Over 1,000 Stores Close in a Single Week

    Joseph Hancock, PhD, a professor in Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, was quoted in a June 3 NBCNews.com story about the closing of 1,000 retail stores in a week.

  • Sneaker Fever: The Big Business of the Sneaker Industry

    Joseph Hancock, PhD, a professor in Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, was featured in a May 16 WPVI-TV (6-abc) story about the evolution of the sneaker business.

  • Sweat Shorts Are The Best Fashion Trend of My Lifetime

    Joseph H. Hancock, PhD, an associate professor in the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, was quoted in an April 28 Deadspin post about the arrival of the age of "athleisure" attire, such as sweat pants shorts.

  • Ivanka Trump, Who Are You?

    Joseph Hancock, PhD, a professor in Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, was quoted in a Feb. 11 Boston Globe article about Ivanka Trump, her role in the Trump administration and the recent withdrawal of her fashion line from Nordstrom.

  • Why Trump's Plan to Bring Jobs Back to America Won't Include Fashion

    Joseph Hancock, PhD, a professor in Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, was quote in a Jan. 9 Galore story about Trump's vision for jobs in America and how it would affect the fashion industry. 

  • Cargo Shorts Debate: To Wear or Not to Wear?

    Joseph Hancock, PhD, a professor in Westphal College, was interviewed on an Aug. 25 CBS This Morning segment about the debate over cargo shorts and their general place in men’s fashion.

  • This Drexel Professor Did His Ph.D. Thesis on Cargo Pants

    Joseph H. Hancock, PhD, an associate professor in the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, was featured in a Aug. 10 Philadelphia Magazine story about the impact of his doctoral thesis on cargo pants.

  • Cargo Pants - Convenience vs. Style

    Joseph H. Hancock, PhD, an associate professor in the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, was quoted in an Aug. 4 WTXF-TV (FOX-29) "Good Day Philadelphia" segment about his dissertation on cargo pants and the split of opinions between their convenience and style factor.

  • Finally, Men Are Turning Their Backs on Cargo Shorts

    Joseph H. Hancock, PhD, an associate professor in the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, was quoted in an Aug. 3 NPR story about the debate over the stylishness of cargo shorts. He was also quoted in Woman's Day, Cosmopolitan and Maxim on Aug. 2.  

  • The Creepy Science Behind Why You Love Target So Much

    Joseph Hancock, PhD, a professor in Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, and the Pennoni Honors College, was quoted in a June 23 Philadelphia Magazine story about the science behind consumers' love for Target.

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