Dr. Courtney Fu

Biography

Courtney Fu is a lecturer in the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) Cluster at the Singapore University of Technology and Design. She obtained her Master of Arts in East Asian Studies from New York University and a dual-title PhD in History and Asian Studies from Pennsylvania State University, focusing on Chinese material culture and intellectual history. As a scholar in fashion studies, she engages with topics at the intersection of decolonial fashion discourse, Asian sartorial traditions, dress politics, and identity studies. Fu has published in prominent sinology and fashion studies journals and serves as a Co-Principal Investigator on a project funded by the Singapore National Heritage Board that focuses on reconstructing the nation’s fashion heritage. Her current research explores representations in digital fashion and seeks to reconceptualize sustainable fashion through the lens of heritage fashion. Additionally, she is working on a book manuscript that documents and theorizes Nanyang fashion. Before joining SUTD, Courtney held postdoctoral teaching and research positions at Pennsylvania State University and the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore, where she taught courses on comparative fashion and women’s studies in the Department of Chinese Studies and oversaw thesis writing in the School of Fashion at LASALLE College of the Arts.

Research Interests