February 2, 2010

The research of Dr. Gwendolyn O’Neal focuses on the meanings assigned to apparel products and their impact on our preferences and behavior. Her research addresses the cultural and market divides that distinguish traditional Eurocentric perspectives from the aesthetics of the descendants of African peoples whose history, culture and fashion are markedly different. This was the topic of her lecture, African American Aesthetic of Dress As Cultural Genetics, on Wednesday, April 21st. The lecture was part of the series Multicultural Appearances, Attitudes & Style; celebrating fashion and diversity.

Dr. O’Neal is a Professor and Head of the Department of Consumer, Apparel and Retail Studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She served as president of the International Textiles and Apparel Association, a global organization of textile, apparel and merchandising scholars, and two terms as Vice President for Planning. She was recently commissioned as the writer on African American Aesthetic of Dress for the Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion.