Dr Nazl谋 Alimen
Dr. Nazl谋 Alimen teaches on MA Luxury Brand Management and MA Fashion Management courses and supervises PhD projects at BCU. Before joining BCU in 2019, she taught at London College of Fashion (UAL) and Helsinki and Aalto universities in Finland.
She holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from London College of Fashion, and her academic background uniquely blends Fashion and Business Studies with Cultural, Postcolonial, and Decolonial Studies. Her research interests include consumer cultures, material and visual cultures鈥攑articularly historical and contemporary fashion and dress鈥�, and marketing and management in creative industries. Her first book, Faith and Fashion in Turkey: Consumption Politics and Islamic Identities (Bloomsbury, 2018), has contributed across multiple fields, including fashion and clothing, subcultures, sociology of religion, and consumer culture. She continues to publish widely in academic journals and is working on multiple research projects, including an AHRC-funded project (2024鈥�2027), exploring sustainability and equitability in the Indian textile and handicraft sectors.
Her teaching philosophy focuses on fostering critical thinking, adaptability, and cultural awareness through an interdisciplinary approach. She has been instrumental in curriculum development, contributing to the creation of degree programs at Helsinki University and the revalidation of postgraduate courses at BCU.
Dr. Alimen is also actively involved in equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives at BCU and holds several professional memberships, including Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and member of the UK Research and Innovation Talent Peer Review College.
Current Activity
Dr. Alimen is currently involved in an AHRC-funded project, 鈥淐rafting Sustainability and Equitability: Reconstructing Pasts and Futures in the Indian Creative Economy鈥�, in collaboration with Dr. Rohit Dasgupta (London School of Economics), Dr. Diviani Chaudhuri (Shiv Nadar University), and Dr. Vishnupriya Narayanan (National Institute of Design鈥揂hmedabad).
This three-year project (2024鈥�2027) focuses on the traditional handicrafts and textiles sectors in India, exploring ways to preserve cultural integrity and promote equitable labour practices in these sectors while also adapting these practices into modern manufacturing to foster sustainability. Moreover, it investigates trade relations between the UK and India within the creative industries, with the goal of developing long-term, sustainable, and ethical trade partnerships between the two countries. The project outcomes will include conference presentations, journal articles, a monograph, community and stakeholder workshops, policy briefs and workshop, open access repository, and a popular article.
Areas of Expertise
- Modest fashion
- Historical and contemporary fashion and dress outside the 鈥榃est鈥�
- Fashion/dress/hair and identity, particularly the role of gender, religion, ethnicity, and nationality from an intersectional perspective
- Marketing and management in creative industries, with a focus on consumer cultures, entrepreneurship, brand management, and brand cultures
- Ethical and inclusive practices and sustainability in fashion, textiles and handicrafts outside the 鈥榃est鈥� and within the Global Majority in the West
- Research methodologies and methods, particularly qualitative research methods such as ethnography and visual analysis.
Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Cultural Studies, London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London
- Master of Business Administration (MBA), Izmir University of Economics
- MA in Brand Management, Istituto Marangoni
- BA in Fashion Design and Manufacturing, Gazi University
Memberships
- Higher Education Academy (HEA) Fellow
- Member of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Talent Peer Review College
- Book Reviews Editor of Dress: The Journal of the Costume Society of America
- Member of the Editorial Board of Critical Studies in Fashion & Beauty
- Member of Consumer Culture Theory Consortium (CCTC)
- Member of the Costume Society of America (CSA)
Teaching
Dr. Nazl谋 Alimen leads three modules in the MA Luxury Brand Management and MA Fashion Management courses:
- ADM7010 Analysis and Planning for Management
- ADM7004 Research and Professional Skills
- FAS7040/FAS7041 Major Project
Her teaching approach emphasizes the integration of theoretical knowledge with practical application, fostering critical thinking and creativity among her students. She is also highly regarded for her supportive mentorship, offering guidance and pastoral care to students.
鈥淣azl谋 is the best feature I鈥檝e experienced on the course. She gave very detailed and professional advice on my major project. Meanwhile, I gained so many benefits from all the literature she recommended, which gave me new insights on the subject I was working on. The key takeaway I most benefitted from was the research methods I learned from her and even shared this knowledge with my peers. The rigorous, detailed requirements will assist me in so many ways in my future career. Even her advice on my future career in fashion and luxury truly inspires me. Personally, I would think of her as knowledgeable and helpful as my major project tutor, while being funny and open-minded as a person.鈥�
MA Fashion Management student (2020/21)
Research
Dr. Alimen鈥檚 current research concentrates on:
- Sustainability and equitability in traditional textiles and handicrafts sectors
- Fashion and dress in the Ottoman lands
- AI and digital technologies in traditional craftsmanship and dress collections
- Research methods in visual arts and creative industries
Postgraduate Supervision
Dr. Alimen is interested in supervising research students in the areas of:
- Modest fashion
- Historical and contemporary fashion and dress, particularly those outside the 鈥榃est鈥�
- Consumer cultures
- Marketing and management in creative industries, particularly brand management, brand cultures, entrepreneurship, consumer behaviour, and digital marketing.
Publications
Book
Alimen, N. (2018) Faith and Fashion in Turkey: Consumption, Politics and Islamic Identities. London: Bloomsbury.听
Book Chapters
Alimen, N. (2025) 鈥淢asculinities and Men鈥檚 Accessories in Turkey: Differentiations and Intersections of Religion and Political ideologies鈥� for The Handbook of Men鈥檚 Fashion, Ben Berry, Jos茅 Blanco and Andrew Reilly (eds), Intellect.
Alimen, N. (2022) 鈥淢anu Atelier: A Turkish Brand in the 鈥楾op鈥� Fashion Fields鈥�, in Fashion & Luxury Marketing for Consumers, Michael R. Solomon and Mona Mrad (eds) Sage.
Alimen, N. (2018) 鈥淭he Fashions and Politics of Facial Hair in Turkey: The Case of Islamic Men鈥�, in The Routledge International Handbook to Veils and Veiling, Anna-Mari Almila and David Inglis (eds.), Oxon, UK: Routledge, 116-24. bit.ly/36uGzbM
Journal Articles
Alimen, N. (Forthcoming) 鈥淪titching Tradition and Fashion: The Evolution of Ottoman Women鈥檚 贵别谤芒肠别蝉, the 16th鈥�19th Century鈥�.
Alimen, N. and Dasgupta, R. (2024) 鈥淐onsuming and Retailing Fashion: South Asian Diaspora Negotiating Clothing Practices, Identities, and Community Making in Glasgow, UK鈥�, Social Identities: Journal for the Study of Race, Nation and Culture.听
Alimen, N. and Askegaard, S. (2020) 鈥淩eligious Ritual and Sociopolitical Identities: Circumcision Costumes in the Turkish Marketplace鈥�, International Journal of Fashion Studies, 7 (2), 211鈥�36. https://doi.org/10.1386/infs_00027_1
Alimen, N. and K眉t眉k-Kuri艧, M. (2020) 鈥淎 Snapshot of the Fashion Field in Contemporary Turkey鈥�, International Journal of Fashion Studies, 7 (2), 133鈥�45. https://doi.org/10.1386/infs_00023_2
Alimen, N. and G. Bayraktaro臒lu (2011) 鈥淐onsumption Adjustments of Turkish Consumers during the Global Financial Crisis鈥�, Ege Academic Review, 11 (2), 193鈥�203. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/eab/issue/39889/473476
Alimen, N. and G. Cerit (2010) 鈥淒imensions of Brand Knowledge: Turkish University Students鈥� Consumption of International Fashion Brands鈥�, Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 23 (4), 538鈥�58. https://doi.org/10.1108/17410391011061807
Other Published Work
Alimen, N. (2020) 鈥淪adberk Han谋m Museum: An Interview with L芒le G枚r眉n眉r, Museum Specialist鈥�, International Journal of Fashion Studies, 7 (2), 247鈥�53. https://doi.org/10.1386/infs_00029_7
Alimen, N. (2020) 鈥淥ttoman Design in the West: A Visual History of Cultural Exchange by Charlotte A. Jirousek鈥�, International Journal of Fashion Studies, 7 (2), 267鈥�70. https://doi.org/10.1386/infs_00032_5
Alimen, N. (2019) 鈥淢odern Fashion Traditions: Negotiating Tradition and Modernity through Fashion, edited by M. Angela Jansen and Jennifer Craik鈥�, International Journal of Fashion Studies, 6 (2), 303鈥�5. https://doi.org/10.1386/infs_00013_5
Alimen, N. (2017) 鈥淩eview of Y谋lmaz, Hale, Becoming Turkish: Nationalist Reforms Cultural Negotiations in Early Republican Turkey, 1923鈥�1945鈥�. H-Nationalism, H-Net Reviews. November 2017. https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showpdf.php?id=50490
Alimen, N. (2015) 鈥淏ook Review: Islamic Masculinities by Amanullah de Sondy鈥�, Gender, Place & Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography, 22 (8), 1197鈥�8. https://doi.org/10.1080/0966369X.2015.1020138
Conference Presentations
Alimen, N. (2023) 鈥淔ashion and Dress in the Ottoman Public Sphere: Jewish Women鈥檚 贵别谤芒肠别蝉, 17th-19th Century鈥�, The Eleventh Annual Conference the Society for Sephardic Studies, 9-13 October, Izmir, Turkey.
Alimen, N. and Dasgupta, R. (2022) 鈥淒ecolonising Fashion: Fashion Consumption and Clothing Practices of the South Asian Muslim Communities in Glasgow鈥�, 117th ASA (American Sociological Association) Annual Meeting, 5鈥�9 August, Los Angeles, CA.
Alimen, N. and Rajapakse, D. (2022) 鈥淏lended Teaching and Learning: An Investigation of Student and Staff Experiences of a Co-Taught Module鈥�, Advance HE Teaching and Learning Conference 2022, 5鈥�7 July, Northumbria University, UK.
Alimen, N. (2021) 鈥淥ttoman 贵别谤芒肠别蝉: An Investigation of Outer Garments, 16th-20th Century鈥�, Costume Society of America鈥檚 47th Annual Meeting and Symposium, 25鈥�30 May, online.
Alimen, N. (2020) 鈥淗istorical Depictions of Ottoman Jewish Women鈥檚 贵别谤芒肠别蝉, 17th鈥�19th Century鈥�, Picturing Jewish Dress: Researching Belonging and Identification through Historical Visual Sources, 27 November, online workshop.
Alimen, N. (2020) 鈥淢uslim Men and Dress in Turkey鈥�, Globalising Men鈥檚 Style Conference (online), 21-23 July, organised by London College of Fashion, Masculinities Hub.
Alimen, N. (2019) 鈥淭he Investigation of an Ottoman Outer Garment: Feraces from the Sixteenth to the Early Twentieth Centuries鈥�, the Second Annual Conference of the Fashion, Costume and Visual Cultures Network, 9-11 July, Roubaix, France.
Alimen, N. (2019) 鈥淥ttoman Feraces: An Investigation of Outer Garments, 16th鈥�20th Century鈥�, Culture, Costume and Dress 2019 Conference, 5-7 June, 探花直播, 探花直播, UK.
Alimen, N. and S. Askegaard (2018) 鈥�(Re)construction and (Re)presentation of Muslim Masculinities through Circumcision Costumes: Militarism, Nationalism and Neo-Ottomanism in the Turkish Consumption Space鈥�, Consumer Culture Theory 2018 Conference, 28 June-1 July, Odense, Denmark.
Alimen, N. (2017) 鈥淯nderstandings and Practices of Veiling: Observant Muslim Women in Turkey鈥�, Revisiting the Gaze: Feminism, Fashion and the Female Body, 28-29 June, Chelsea College of Arts, UK.
Alimen, N. (2016) 鈥淭he (Re)appropriation and Distinction: Feraces and Abayas in the Religiously Related Fashion Field of Turkey鈥�, Sociology of Religion Study Group (Socrel) Annual Conference, 12-14 July, Lancaster University, UK.
Alimen, N. and S. Askegaard (2016) 鈥淐onsumption Objects of Circumcision Ceremonies in Turkey: The Context of Context鈥�, Consumer Culture Theory 2016 Conference, 6-9 July, Lille, France.
Alimen, N. (2015) 鈥淚slamic Identities, Spaces, and Consumer Cultures: Male Members of the Menzil and S眉leymanl谋 Communities in Turkey鈥�, Middle East Studies Association (MESA) Annual Meeting, 21-24 November, Denver, CO, USA.
Alimen, N. (2015) 鈥淚slam, Gender, and the State Politics: Interviewing Islamic Men in Turkey鈥�, Sociology of Religion Study Group (Socrel) Annual Conference, 7-9 July, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, UK.
Alimen, N. (2015) 鈥淚slamic Sub-Markets and Their Consumers: Faith-Inspired Communities in Turkey鈥�, the 2nd BRAIS (British Association for Islamic Studies) Conference, 13-15 April, London, UK.
Alimen, N. (2014) 鈥淚slamic Masculinities in Turkey鈥�, 1st International Symposium on Men and Masculinities: Identities, Cultures, Societies, 11-13 September, Izmir, Turkey.
Alimen, N. (2014) 鈥淭his Little Prince is Becoming a Man: The Circumcision Ritual and Market Place鈥�, the 3rd Annual Conference of the European Popular Culture Association, 29-31 July, London, UK.
Alimen, N. (2014) 鈥淚slam and the Market Place: Circumcision Ceremonies in Turkey鈥�, Consumer Culture Theory Conference, 26-29 June, Helsinki, Finland.
Alimen, N. (2014) 鈥淭urkish Islamic Masculinities: The Investigation of Bodily Appearances鈥�, 12th Conference on Gender, Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, 24-26 June, Helsinki, Finland.
Alimen, N. (2014) 鈥淔aith and Consumption: The Menzil Community in Turkey鈥�, BRAIS (British Association for Islamic Studies) Inaugural Conference, 10-11 April, Edinburgh, UK.
Alimen, N. (2014) 鈥淭he Analysis of Fast Fashion Consumption: What Drives Consumers to Buy Fast Fashion Products?鈥�, 2014 Global Fashion Management Conference, 13-15 February, London, UK.
Alimen, N., O. Tuna and T. Baltac谋o臒lu (2009) 鈥淟uxury Consumption: The Hidden Dynamics of Turkish Veiled Women鈥檚 Consumption of Luxury Apparel鈥�, Academy of Marketing Brand Conference (Branding&Society), 1-3 September, Cambridge University, UK.
Work With Industry
Dr. Alimen has provided consultancy in business development and modest fashion, with a focus on digital marketing, market research, and consumer insights.
Before pursuing her doctoral studies, she worked in visual merchandising, marketing and PR, and international sales for several fashion companies, including Benetton and Vakko, in Italy and Turkey.
Links and Social Media
- 奥别产蝉颈迟别:听
- X/Twitter profile:聽@nazlialimen