Women, Fashion Design and Ancestrality: Reflections on the Past and Future Possibilities

The design profession is not immune to the systematic oppression of patriarchy, although it has its own gender-specific histories. From the history of design, it is possible to understand the relationship and participation of women in its development and understand the need for other approaches, especially those associated with fashion design and the relationship with female textile ancestry. Currently, there is a considerable number of studies that address female relationships, the role of gender and female textile ancestral knowledge both in relation to the area and design processes. These add data and values to the question of how gender is constructed through design processes, which can directly contribute to more sustainable results, as well as to the configuration of meaningful and culturally relevant products. This article aims to address the marginalized relationships in the history of design: women - fashion design - female textile ancestry.