Meet Philippa Nesbitt: Our New CCI Professor on Fashion, Creativity, and Thinking Outside the Box

Photo courtesy of Dr. Philippa Nesbitt. 

CCI minors, we’ve got some exciting news to share. There’s a new faculty member joining the CCI team, and trust us, you’re going to want to get to know her. Before we get into what she’ll be teaching at Chapman, here’s your exclusive first look at the person behind the classroom: our newest faculty member, Dr. Philippa Nesbitt.

Philipa’s background is anything but typical, and that’s exactly what makes it so interesting. She’s originally from Calgary, a Canadian city known more for oil and gas than fashion. In a place where style wasn’t necessarily front and center, her creativity came from a different kind of upbringing. With parents who encouraged artistic expression, she was exposed early on to art, music, and cultural experiences that helped shape her perspective.

Still, being in Calgary meant she had to actively seek out fashion inspiration. Whether it was flipping through magazines, watching the iconic Canadian channel Fashion Television, or scrolling through platforms like Tumblr and Style.com, she started building her own unique understanding of fashion, on her own terms. And that’s where things take a turn from the “traditional” path.

Philipa didn’t always see fashion as something you could study. That was until Vestoj magazine’s Fashion and Power issue completely changed her perspective. Caught between fashion and sociology, she realized she didn’t have to choose. Instead, she began exploring fashion as a way to understand identity, culture, and society, which is a lens that still shapes her work today. From there, her journey took her to major fashion cities like Paris and Vancouver, where she got a firsthand look at how different markets operate. In Paris, high fashion still reflected narrow beauty standards, while Vancouver’s more commercial scene showed more racial diversity, but still lacked inclusivity in areas like body size. And even though each city talked about diversity differently, the takeaway was the same: there’s still a gap between intention and reality.

After completing her master’s, she worked in Paris, where her early research on model image was published in Fashion, Identity, Image. But being behind the scenes revealed a more complicated truth: where conversations about inclusion didn’t always match the actions. Hearing harmful commentary while seeing those same models cast pushed her to dig deeper. Now, her research focuses on how models actually experience the industry beyond what we see, unpacking the power dynamics that shape their careers. With real insight from inside the room, she brings a perspective that goes far beyond the surface of fashion.

And with that… let’s get this story started. 

Photo courtesy of Dr. Philippa Nesbitt. Featured here is the cover of her book Fashion, Identity, Image, which draws on her extensive research and experiences working across different fashion cities.

Professor Nesbitt, your doctoral research focuses on disabled models in mainstream North American fashion. What gaps in representation are you hoping to uncover or challenge?

PN: I really focus on challenging how disabled people are represented, especially within fashion. While there’s been a visible increase in diversity, a lot of it can feel tokenistic, more like a moment rather than meaningful, lasting change. In my research, I’ve found that the rise in disabled models often aligns with larger social movements, with brands using their inclusion to signal that they’re “doing the right thing.” But behind that, there are still clear divides. Disabled models are often separated from mainstream high fashion, appearing in adaptive collections or being photographed differently from their non-disabled peers, which ultimately limits the impact of that representation. By uncovering these patterns, I hope to push the industry toward more authentic, integrated representation, where disabled models aren’t treated as an exception, but as a natural part of fashion.

So, from a creative industries perspective, how do you see mainstream fashion shaping and reflecting social hierarchies?

PN: Fashion is incredibly powerful because it’s everywhere. Whether we think of ourselves as “fashion people” or not, we’re constantly being influenced by it. And while there have been more visible pushes toward diversity, those changes are often pretty minimal and still don’t reflect the reality of most people, which is something worth questioning. Fashion also reflects what’s happening culturally and politically. For example, we’re starting to see a return to more restrictive beauty ideals again, like ultra thin bodies and a preference for a very specific “all American” look that often centers whiteness and blondness. There are definitely moments when fashion pushes back and makes bold statements, even recently. But at the end of the day, it operates within capitalism. Brands tend to follow what sells, so when certain looks or identities are more profitable, they get prioritized. That ends up reinforcing existing social hierarchies by packaging them and selling them right back to us.

Now that we’ve learned a bit more about you and your research, let’s talk about Chapman!

What are you most excited to explore or build within Chapman’s CCI community?

PN: I’m really excited to bring fashion into the CCI community! The interdisciplinary nature of the program is such a huge strength, and I can’t wait to see how we can weave fashion into this already rich creative landscape. I’m especially excited to see students from different backgrounds collaborate and explore fashion in completely new ways. My hope is that my courses give students hands-on opportunities to create work they can carry forward into their careers and projects well beyond their time at Chapman.

Can you tell us a little about the courses you’ll be teaching in CCI this Fall 2026, CCI 150-01 Introduction to Creative Entrepreneurship and CCI 203-02 Contemporary Issues in CCI (with a focus on fashion)?

PN: What I really want to bring to these courses is a sense of curiosity about the contemporary landscape of fashion and the creative industries more broadly. I hope to encourage students to think about the topics we cover both on a big, global scale and in the context of their everyday lives. For example, how are changing technologies and media shaping the way fashion is produced and consumed, and how does that affect you as a consumer? I also want to build the courses around the students’ perspectives. That means understanding what they see as the most pressing or interesting issues in fashion and weaving those into our discussions and projects throughout the semester. It’s all about making the learning experience relevant, dynamic, and connected to their own creative journeys.

Lastly, how do you hope students will engage with conversations about equity, accessibility, and representation within the framework of CCI?

PN: I hope these topics are woven into nearly every conversation in CCI because they get to the human side, which is the driving force behind creative industries. I want students to really think about what equity means in today’s creative landscape and explore ways to make accessibility and representation more widespread across industries. I also hope they approach their work with a global perspective, challenging themselves to think beyond the status quo. These conversations can definitely be tough, but it’s through that challenge that we push creative boundaries and imagine more equitable futures.

Photo courtesy of Philippa Nesbitt. This image features a campaign she styled for the brand Wolf Circus, photographed by Jill Scheweber.

Philipa has always been naturally creative, but she didn’t grow up in an environment that fully nurtured that side of her. Instead, she learned to push herself to think outside the box and pull inspiration from everywhere she could find it. Even during her master’s, she picked up reading fiction because she knows that diving into all kinds of creative work makes you a stronger writer, and a sharper thinker. She believes this curiosity should extend to all areas of creativity. It’s way too easy to get stuck in what we know or the work we’re already doing. That’s why she makes a point to connect with art, music, and culture wherever she is. She has season tickets to the ballet, and she tries to see a new exhibition or catch live music at least once a month. Living in a smaller city like Vancouver made it a bit of a challenge, but that challenge pushed her out of her comfort zone, and into experiences she never would have explored otherwise. Philipa encourages all of us to take risks, stay curious, and approach life with an open eye and an open heart. And with that, our story comes to a close. We hope you loved getting to know her, Panthers! Keep your eyes peeled, there’s so much more to come!

**If you’re interested in taking one of her classes, here’s what she’s teaching this Fall:

CCI 150: Introduction to Creative Entrepreneurship

T/Th 10:00–11:15 AM

A beginner-friendly course for non-business students that covers the essentials of turning creative ideas into real ventures, from business models and budgeting to marketing and contracts.

CCI 203: Contemporary Issues in CCI (Fashion Focus)

T/Th 8:30–9:45 AM

An exploration of key topics in creative industries through the lens of fashion, diving into current debates, trends, and cultural impact.

For a more detailed course breakdown, press here.