Katie Lloyd, a 27-year-old lecturer at Cardiff Metropolitan University, says people often mistake her for a fresher and do not take her seriously because of her age and appearance. She earned a doctorate in marketing and strategy in March after completing a four-year PhD.
Fashion lecturer embraces comparisons to Elle Woods and Barbie
Lloyd, who teaches fashion marketing, says she is frequently compared to Legally Blonde's Elle Woods or a real-life Barbie doll. She insists she will never change her look and welcomes the comparisons. She also works part-time as a model.
Lloyd told the original outlet: "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."
Facing assumptions about fashion as a subject
She noted that when she attends events and mentions she teaches fashion marketing, people often do not take her seriously. "When you say the word 'fashion' immediately people think it's a fluffy subject," she said. "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."
Lloyd said she loves fashion, make-up, and getting glam, even for her 9am lectures. She added: "I get mistaken for being a student all the time. When it's the first week back, people will always ask me if I need any help or know where I'm going."
Academic journey and future plans
Lloyd graduated from Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2020 with a first-class degree in fashion marketing management. She achieved a distinction in her digital marketing and data management masters in 2022 while working as a personal stylist on social media. In 2022, she began studying for her PhD on a full-time scholarship, researching how social media influencers deal with online hate, which involved interviewing Love Island and Married at First Sight stars.
She said submitting her PhD was one of her proudest moments. "When I was told I had passed and was now a doctor, it was quite a surreal moment. I was so proud of myself. It was one true moment in my life where I knew I deserved this and I had worked hard for it," she said.
Looking ahead, Lloyd hopes to open her own influencer agency, drawing on her PhD research. She is urging other women to consider an academic career, stressing the importance of diversity in the field. "I'm not going to change how I look for my job role, I love expressing myself," she said. "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."
