A few years ago, Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein had finished their Ph.D.’s and were trying to figure out if they were going to stick it out in academia. After lots of phone calls and emails and with the help of some dear friends, they were inspired to create Dismantle Magazine, an online publication for sharing accessible, critical content in fashion and cultural studies. With this platform they’ve been able to develop their public voices, move to teaching outside of insular university circles, and get closer to what they set out to do when they entered graduate school: keep education critical, productive, and aligned with social justice.

Dismantle frames fashion and popular culture as tools for creative identity exploration, activism and social change. Head here to see the work of professional scholars, activists, artists, and writers alongside that of students and recent grads.

Dr. Chatelain is an editor at Dismantle and works closely with co-founder Sara T. Bernstein to help grow the publication’s outreach through content development and marketing.