Elena Karpova

Areas of Expertise

Global Supply Chain Management in Apparel Industry, Industry Employment Dynamics, Sustainable Fashion Consumtion and Production, Trends in Global Industries, Markets, and Trade, Sustainability in Apparel Industry

Biography

Dr. Elena Karpova is the Putman and Hayes Distinguished Professor in the Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies Department. She is an award-winning educator and researcher with thirty years of experience in academia and industry in the United States and Russia. Her research focuses on: (1) sustainable production, marketing, and consumption in the textile and apparel industry, and (2) preparing future industry leaders who are responsible and innovative problem solvers.

Dr. Karpova co-authored two books, Going Global: The Textile and Apparel Industry and The Dangers of Fashion: Toward Ethical and Sustainable Solutions, published 65 peer-reviewed papers in top research journals, and presented more than 120 papers at international conferences. She is the recipient of the prestigious 2024 Distinguished Scholar Award from the International Textile and Apparel Association. Her teaching and research expertise is the areas of consumer behavior; sourcing; textile and apparel industry analysis; and product development. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses and advises master’s and doctoral students.

Education

• PhD in Textile Products Marketing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). Dissertation title: Russian consumers’ attitudes toward apparel consumption.
• PhD in Textiles Science from St. Petersburg State University of Technology and Design, Russia. Dissertation title: Consumption characteristics of linen and linen-blend fabrics.
• BS/MS in Technical Design & Apparel Engineering from Omsk State Technology Institute, West Siberia, Russia. Thesis title: Design and construction of men’s leather and fur outerwear.

Research/Publications

(Past five years: 2019-2024; * = co-authored with a graduate student)

1. *Cho, S., Karpova, E., & Chung, T. (2024). Inclusive Apparel Design framework for accommodating clothing needs of people with different levels of reach, dexterity, and
mobility capabilities. International Journal of Fashion, Design, Technology, and Education.

https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2024.2365837

2. Karpova, E., Su, J., Carrico, M., Welsch, D., Bang, H., & Nasibli, N. (2024). Promoting social mobility of high school students: Development and assessment of an applied STEM
camp in fashion and entrepreneurship. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology, and Education.

https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2023.2297191.

3. Karpova, E., Hodges, N., Haque, F., & Bayat, F. (2024). Increasing objective and subjective knowledge of the environmental impact of cotton and polyester apparel:
Implications for educating future industry professionals. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology, and Education, 17(2), 276-285.

https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2023.2277259.

4. Karpova, E., Reddy-Best, K., & Bayat, F. (2023). Developing a typology of sustainable apparel consumer: An application of grounded theory. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 15(2), 203-220.

https://doi.org/10.1080/20932685.2023.2201251

5. *Ghalachyan, A., & Karpova, E. (2023). Developing a holistic sensory evaluation three-part method for textiles and apparel: A practical application for novel materials and
products. Research Journal of Textile and Apparel.

https://doi.org/10.1108/RJTA-11-2022-0138

6. Karpova, E., Reddy-Best, K., & Bayat, F. (2022). The fashion system’s environmental
impact: Theorizing the market’s institutional actors, actions, logics, and norms. Fashion Theory, 26(6), 799-820.

https://doi.org/10.1080/1362704X.2022.2027680

7. Karpova, E., Jestratijevic, I., Lee, J., & Wu, J. (2022). An ethnographic study of
collaborative fashion consumption: The case of temporary clothing swapping. Sustainability, 14(5), 2499

https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052499

8. *Jacobs, B., & Karpova, E. (2022). ‘Must-have’ skills and knowledge for merchandising professionals in South Africa. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 14(2), 206-225.

https://doi.org/10.1080/20932685.2022.2055609

9. *Testa, D., Slaton, K., & Karpova, E. (2022). A mixed methods exploration of economic factors role in fashion specialty retailers’ international expansion and performance. Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness, 16(1), 28-44.

10. *Hwang, C., Lee, Y., Ghalachyan, A., & Karpova, E. (2022). Student learning about social responsibility in the global textile and apparel industry: The use of video as an instructional tool. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology, and Education, 15(1), 67-76

https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2021.2004242

11. *Testa, D., & Karpova, E. (2021). Executive decision-making in fashion retail: A phenomenological exploration of executive resources and strategies. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 26(4), 700-716.

https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-08-2020-0169

12. *Ghalachyan, A., & Karpova, E. (2021). Development of Apparel Product Evaluation (APE) framework: A systematic classification of evaluative criteria. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology, and Education, 14(2), 243-252.

https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2021.1916839

13. *Jacobs, B., & Karpova, E. (2020). Skills and knowledge for merchandising professionals: The case of the South African apparel retail industry. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 40(1), 55-72.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302X20935516

14. *Jacobs, B. & Karpova, E. (2020). Clarifying the merchandising function: Analysis of merchandising positions and responsibilities in the South African apparel retail industry. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology, and Education, 13(3), 364-375.

https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2020.1829095

15. *Dorie, A., Loranger, D., & Karpova, E. (2019). Encore Consumption: Investigating trends in the apparel expenditures of older consumers. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 51, 428-436.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2017.10.018 [H Index = 57]

16. *Lee, M., & Karpova, E., & Baytar, F. (2019). The effects of product information on consumer attitudes and purchase intentions of fashion products made of fur, leather, and
wool. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 10(2), 177-193.

https://doi.org/10.1080/20932685.2019.1577160

17. *Jacobs, B., & Karpova, E. (2019). What do merchandisers need to succeed?: Development of apparel merchandising competency framework. International Journal of
Fashion Design, Technology, and Education, 12(3), 272-282.

https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2019.1587791

Curriculum vitae