Talk #65

Benjamin Wild

Dr Benjamin Wild is a cultural historian and fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He is currently senior lecturer in contextual studies (fashion) within the Manchester Fashion Institute. He joined MMU in September 2019, having previously worked in higher education and secondary education institutions, including King's College London and the Conde Nast College of Fashion and Design. Ben maintains links with the Victoria & Albert Museum and Royal Academy, where he has given talks and lead educational courses. He is co-host of the weekly podcast series Dress: Fancy, which explores the cultural and social role and meaning of fancy dress costume. The podcast links to Ben's most recent book project, Carnival to Catwalk: Global Reflections on Fancy Dress Costume, which was published by Bloomsbury in 2020. In 2019, Ben gave a TED talk on the theme of marginality. He is exploring the idea and implications of marginality further in two current book projects, Wearing Culture: Negotiation, Controversy and the Pursuit of Fashion, and Appropriation.