Professor Yuniya Kawamura, winner of the 2026 International Fashion Science Award (IFSA)
Professor Yuniya Kawamura, one of the most influential figures in fashion sociology internationally, has been recognized with the 2026 International Fashion Science Award (IFSA), presented by ISEM, together with a jury composed of academics from around the world. Each year, this award recognizes academics whose research has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of fashion as a scientific and multidisciplinary discipline.
18 | 02 | 2026
Yuniya Kawamura is a professor of Sociology at the Fashion Institute of Technology (State University of New York) and one of the leading voices in the study of fashion as a cultural, social, and symbolic phenomenon. Her background combines a solid academic career—with an MA and PhD from Columbia University—with studies at the Bunka School of Fashion and training at FIT, enabling her to bridge the gap between sociological theory and the reality of the industry.
Her most influential work, Fashion-ology (2004), is an essential reference for understanding fashion as an institutionalized system, introducing the famous distinction between clothing as a material object and fashion as a symbolic and cultural construct. In addition, she has developed pioneering work on Japanese youth subcultures, processes of legitimization in the global fashion system, qualitative methodologies applied to clothing, dynamics of cultural consumption, and contemporary phenomena such as sneaker collecting.
His publications include:
- The Japanese Revolution in Paris Fashion (2004)
- Fashioning Japanese Subcultures (2025)
- Doing Research in Fashion and Dress (2020)
- Cultural Appropriation in Fashion and Entertainment (2022)
- Sneakers (2016)
In addition, he has received institutional awards such as the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities and the FIT Faculty Excellence Award.
Recognition by the jury
"Yuniya Kawamura's work has expanded the frontiers of fashion research, providing an essential sociological approach to understanding the contemporary global system. Her contribution has inspired generations of scholars and strengthened the scientific dimension of fashion studies," says Pedro Mir, Director of Research at ISEM and member of the IFSA Committee.
The International Fashion Science Award Committee is composed of distinguished academics and experts from various disciplines related to fashion and business:
- Teresa Sádaba (ISEM Fashion Business School, University of Navarra). Chair of the Committee
- Arch. G. Woodside (Coastal Carolina University, USA)
- Simone Guercini (University of Florence, Italy)
- Lorenzo Cantoni ( University of Lugano, Switzerland)
- Francisco Iniesta ( IESE Business School, Spain)
- Pedro Mir (ISEM Fashion Business School, University of Navarra)
Award ceremony
Professor Kawamura will receive the IFSA 2026 in July, as part of the Global Fashion Management Conference, which this year will be held in Madrid and will bring together researchers, academics, and industry professionals to reflect on the challenges and opportunities that are transforming the fashion industry.