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About the NowesArk Archive

Global Clothing Collection

Welcome to the study collection of garments from Africa, Asia (including China, Japan, India, and Southeast Asia) and South America. The emphasis on garments beyond the Western tradition was developed by Professor Bobbi Owen (now Professor Emerita) in 2008 as a companion to Costar. It was also used by undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in a course about non-Western dress at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Students in DRAM 475/H chose a garment to examine, conduct research about their provenance, history, and cultural context, and wrote essays which contributed to the wealth of information on the site. By the end of the spring 2021 semester, more than 80 garments in the archive had been researched.