Katie Lloyd, 27, a fashion marketing lecturer at Cardiff Metropolitan University, says people often mistake her for a clueless fresher and are stunned to learn she is actually the lecturer. She says she is not always taken seriously due to her age and stylish way of dressing for 9am lectures, but she will never change her aesthetic and loves being compared to Legally Blonde's Elle Woods or a real-life Barbie doll.
Doctorate and Career Journey
Lloyd, from Bromyard, Herefordshire, completed a doctorate in marketing and strategy in March after four years of study. She graduated from Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2020 with a first-class degree in fashion marketing management, then achieved a distinction in her digital marketing and data management masters in 2022 while working as a personal stylist on social media.
Alongside her roles as a full-time lecturer and part-time bridal model, Lloyd began her PhD in 2022 on a full-time scholarship. Her thesis researched how social media influencers deal with online hate, which involved interviewing Love Island and Married at First Sight stars.
Challenging Stereotypes
Lloyd said: "I think being a young female in academia is massive. There is a bit of a stereotype that you have to be older and to be an expert you need age behind you. It's nice to be able to push those boundaries."
She added: "When I would go to events and would say I teach fashion marketing, people don't really take you seriously. When you say the word 'fashion' immediately people think it's a fluffy subject."
She noted: "I might look like a young girl that's blonde and give that stereotypical 'Elle Woods' look. But when I stand up, people all of a sudden listen and realise I know my stuff and it [fashion] is a really interesting topic."
Embracing the 'Academic Barbie' Identity
Lloyd says she gets mistaken for a student all the time, especially during the first week back, when people ask if she needs help or knows where she is going. She said: "I've had a couple of people compare me to Elle Woods as I have a little sausage dog too. I also get Barbie and in my bio on social media, I have myself as 'academic Barbie'. Around the office it's become a bit of a running joke."
She described passing her PhD as "quite a surreal moment" and "one true moment in my life where I knew I deserved this and I had worked hard for it." Looking ahead, she hopes to open her own influencer agency and urges other women to consider an academic career, saying: "As a woman in research it's hard to have your voice heard but being able to push the boundaries and navigate this, it's so important to be done. I'm one of those people that will keep knocking on those doors until I'm heard."
