Professor Vicki Karaminas honoured with the Humanities Aronui Medal for contributions to fashion studies

Professor Vicki Karaminas from Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts has been awarded the prestigious Humanities Aronui Medal by the Royal Society Te Apārangi in recognition of her significant contributions to fashion studies, particularly in advancing the understanding of masculinities, gender and sexualities.

The award acknowledges her pioneering work in this interdisciplinary field, which has reshaped how we view the role of fashion in social identity and cultural expression.

Professor Karaminas is an internationally recognised authority in media and cultural studies, with a focus on the intersection of fashion, gender and sexuality. She has dedicated her career to establishing fashion and dress as a legitimate field of academic research in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally.

Her collaborative work with Associate Professor Adam Geczy from the University of Sydney has led to the development of Critical Fashion Practice, a framework for analysing fashion as both a discourse and an object of social critique. This framework is central to understanding the complex role of clothing in shaping identities and reflecting societal values.

Professor Karaminas is the founding editor of three influential book series, which have significantly advanced the study of fashion, visual culture and popular aesthetics:

• Anthem Studies in Fashion and Visual Culture 
• Style Discourses: Art, Fashion and Culture 
• Fashion Auteurs.

In 2007, Professor Karaminas founded the Popular Culture Association of Australia and New Zealand (POPCAANZ), alongside the launch of journals The Australasian Journal of Popular Culture and The Journal of Asia Pacific Pop Culture. Through POPCAANZ, she has promoted and supported research in popular culture, offering grants and bursaries to encourage scholarly engagement in this field.

In 2013, Professor Karaminas and Dr Geczy co-authored Queer Style, a groundbreaking book that explored the role of dress and style in shaping LGBTQIA+ identities. This work was the first to examine the intersection of fashion and sexual identity, analysing how clothing has been used to subvert traditional gender roles and express individual and collective identities. The book was shortlisted for Best Tertiary Academic Title at the Australasian Book Publishers Awards.

To mark the 10th anniversary of Queer Style, Professor Karaminas and Dr Geczy released a revised edition in 2023, adding a new chapter on the experiences of trans and gender-diverse communities.

In 2020, they published Libertine Fashion: Sexual Rebellion, Freedom and Style, which was shortlisted for The Book of the Year by the Association of Dress Historians. This work explores the historical and contemporary intersections of fashion, sexuality and rebellion, moving from the lavish courts of Charles II and Louis XV to the rebellious catwalks of the 21st century. Libertine Fashion serves as a prequel to Queer Style, offering historical context for understanding how fashion has long been a medium for challenging societal norms.

Over the course of her career, Professor Karaminas has co-authored more than 20 books and her work has been translated into multiple languages, including Cantonese, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian and Swedish. She serves as editor of the Journal of Asia Pacific Pop Culture and as associate editor for Fashion, Style and Popular Culture. She has also been invited to sit on numerous editorial and advisory boards.

In addition to her editorial roles, Professor Karaminas holds several governance positions, including Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Association of Dress Historians and an advisory board seat with the Dress and Body Association. Her academic leadership is further evidenced by her honorary professorships and fellowships.

In awarding Professor Karaminas the Humanities Aronui Medal, the selection committee commended her for making contributions to fashion studies through her own research, as well as for her efforts to elevate fashion studies as a respected intellectual field. The committee also noted her generosity in mentoring other scholars and advancing the discipline as a whole.

Professor Karaminas says she’s incredibly grateful to be named this year’s recipient.

CoCA Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Maile says, "On behalf of Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts and Massey University, I extend my sincere congratulations to Professor Vicki Karaminas on receiving the prestigious Humanities Aronui Medal.

“Such significant recognition is a testament to Professor Karaminas' extraordinary, career-long contribution to the advancement of fashion studies. As a vital member of our academic community, Professor Karaminas continues to play a key role at the fore of fashion studies continuously expanding its boundaries nationally and internationally. This award is richly deserved, and we look forward to her continued leadership and innovation in this area of study."