Regina Root
Professor of Hispanic Studies
Office: Washington Hall 208
Dr. Regina A. Root is an international expert whose scholarship is far-ranging in the areas of art, design and culture. Reviewers have pointed to The Latin American Fashion Reader as the first book to take a broad look at the influence of Latin American culture on global fashion trends. She is the author of Couture and Consensus, translated and revised in Spanish as Vestir la nación. The Handbook of Fashion Studies, in collaboration with other experts, presents an overview of the field's history, methodologies, and current debates. She serves on various editorial boards and has co-edited time-sensitive issues on the topics of Ecofashion, Latin American Fashion Now, and Brazilian Fashion. Pasado de Moda represents a lengthy, multi-disciplinary collaboration on Argentina’s fashion chronology. Her next book reimagines the role of fashion and the creative industries during the pandemic and her avatar is currently known for roaming fashion congress halls in stylish attire. Root is especially interested in the tensions inherent to design research and practice, design justice, and the terms of cultural diplomacy.
At William & Mary, Root brings together groups of students with creative professionals, museums, donors and colleagues to facilitate professional experiences geared towards artifact-based research and cultural policy. Root has involved several students at William & Mary in this research. She has served as president of the Middle Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies and of Ixel Moda's hemispheric scientific committee and academic council. She has co-organized Ixel Moda's congress along with other members of the scientific committee for several years. Root has involved several students at William & Mary in this research. Her advocacy in the areas of community engagement, disability justice, higher education, and voting rights have been internationally recognized. She has assessed proposals for the creative industries as an international juror and publishing consultant. Root has held grants from entities like the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design, the Fulbright Commission, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
