Showcase

What do we Wear When we Live Between Cultures ?

Valentina Libutti

My name is Valentina Libutti. I have spent my life moving between countries and cultures, having relocated eight times so far. Growing up this way shaped how I see identity, culture, and the small ways we hold on to a sense of belonging wherever we go.

Living in so many places made me deeply curious about the connection between psychology and fashion. Over time, I realised that clothing is much more than what we wear each day. It can help us adapt, feel at home, or carry pieces of our past with us when everything else is unfamiliar. This idea inspired my undergraduate dissertation, where I explored how expatriates use fashion to negotiate who they are and how they fit in when living abroad.

I am now continuing this journey through a double degree: a Master in Management at ESCP Business School and a Master in International Fashion and Luxury Management at IFM in Paris. 

My name is Valentina Libutti. I have spent my life moving between countries and cultures, having ...

Every piece of clothing tells a story, but what happens to that story when home keeps changing shape? When someone trades familiar streets for new languages, unfamiliar cultures, a different climate, and must decide each morning what version of themselves to wear?

This qualitative study explored how fashion and clothing practices relate to identity, culture, and belonging among expatriates who have relocated multiple times. It focused on six female expatriates who, on average, had moved countries five times.

Through in-depth interviews, this research examined how these women negotiated their clothing choices when living in unfamiliar cultural contexts and different climates. It investigated whether they adapted their style to local norms or maintained elements of their original style to preserve a sense of continuity and self.

Final work

Open PDF

Share this project

What do we Wear When we Live Between Cultures ?

Every piece of clothing tells a story, but what happens to that story when home keeps changing shape? When someone trades familiar streets for new languages, unfamiliar cultures, a different climate, and must decide each morning what version of themselves to wear? This ...

A link to this page has been added to your clipboard

Browse related work