Author: Barbara Cottrell Trippeer
Barbara Cottrell Trippeer, a former graduate of Parsons School of Design, Paris (1994) earned her MFA (2015) in Innovation Studies/Applied Design Research from the University of North Texas’ Toulouse Graduate School.
She currently participates as adjunct faculty at UNT’s College of Visual Art and Design Fashion Design department, and has previously held senior apparel design positions at a variety of notable retail firms, such as: JCPenney’s, Target Corporation, May Merchandising Company, and Liz Claiborne.
As a design researcher, Barbara specializes in sustainable manufacturing and analyzing the broader impacts of the fashion industry. Her research work evaluating the lifecycle sustainability of the post-consumer garment sub-industries won her the Lucille Perry Scholarship Award for 2013.
Barbara’s applied design research is focused on bringing an anthropological approach to innovation and design thinking, aimed at creating public policy applications related to social development, sustainable technology, and wearable products. Her current projects include an ethical analysis of the targeted marketing practices aimed at young people and their by-products, and an exploration of the potential benefits of wearable technology for children with chronic health conditions.
