Rikki Byrd is a writer, educator, and curator who works across the academy, arts and fashion industries. Her dissertation, “In Loving Memory: Black Performance and the Sartorial Politics of Mourning,” explores the ways Black people across the diaspora perform mourning through clothing and textiles, such as Rest in Peace T-shirts and the hoodie. More broadly, her research focuses on Black aesthetic practices including fashion, performance, and contemporary art. She is the co-founder and editor of the Fashion and Race Syllabus, founder of Black Fashion Archive, and an editorial advisory board member for Bloomsbury Fashion Publishing. Byrd collaborated on the Costumes and Collapse research project from 2023 to 2025.

To learn more about Rikki Byrd's research and publications, please visit her website at www.rikkibyrd.com.