Sarah C. Byrd is a fashion archivist, historian, & educator.
A love of all things "old" led Sarah to collections and preservation of the past in order to understand the present. This passion informs her work at every level.
Her independent research focuses on the history of clothing within American cults and communes and the role of museums in fashion education. Sarah has contributed her research and writing to several publications, guest lectures, and symposia.
As an archivist, she has worked on a wide range of fashion and textile-based projects for private clients and large corporations. Her love for the objects and their long-term care is equal regardless of value or size of collection.
She firmly believes that education is the key to all progress and strives to connect with audiences beyond the standard classroom setting. Her appearances at The Society for the Advancement of Social Studies (SASS), contributions to the Fashion Studies Journal, and In Context series with collaborator Jamie Boyle are favorite accomplishments. Since 2017, Sarah has worked with the Textile Arts Center on a textile-based research and history course for the Artist in Residence series. She currently teaches graduate and undergraduate courses related to fashion and textile history, museum theory, and qualifying papers for MA students at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Parsons School of Design, and New York University.
Sarah received her BA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and MA in Fashion and Textile Studies from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Sarah is also a co-founder of the Fashion Studies Alliance, a New York-based network and support system for professionals working in the field of Fashion Studies.