In this episode of Design in Service of Humanity, Cydni Robertson and Leticia Pardo examine how labor, migration, and global systems shape both the clothes we wear and the spaces we inhabit. Robertson draws from her research in El Salvador to explore how centering garment workers’ education, dignity, and quality of life can transform the apparel supply chain. Pardo reflects on how architecture and art can make visible the overlooked histories of migrant labor embedded in industrial and diasporic landscapes. Together, they consider how research in these design fields can confront inequality, surface hidden narratives, and reimagine more just and humane systems.
Dr. Cydni Meredith Robertson, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Merchandising and Fashion Studies programs in IU’s Eskenazi School. Her research explores 1) gender inequality and young-adult career development within the global apparel supply and 2) the preservation of cultural memory through dress and identity practices and beliefs. Robertson enjoys teaching classes on International Textile and Apparel Trade, Social Sustainability, and Fashion in Latin America.
Leticia Pardo is multidisciplinary artist and architectural designer who is also an Assistant Professor in the Eskenazi School’s Miller Architecture Program. Her work, which explores ways in which placemaking, migration, and borders inform our built environment, has been featured in the Sao Paulo and Chicago Architecture Biennials, and been recognized withthe Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte grant by the Mexican government. She has designed exhibitions and interpretive spaces at the Detroit Institute of Art, the Museo Universitario Arte Contemporaneo in Mexico City, and other museums.
Yaël Ksander is director of communications and marketing for the Indiana University Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design. Previously, she served as director of communications and the mayor's spokesperson for the City of Bloomington, Indiana. Yaël is a regular host, producer, and narrator at Indiana Public Media and serves on the board of the Lotus Education and Arts Foundation.