Secrets from a Victorian Woman's Wardrobe: Kate Strasdin on fashion, fabric and femininity in 19th century England

EPISODE 1521: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Kate Strasdin, the author of THE DRESS DIARY OF MRS ANNE SYKES, about fashion, fabric and femininity in 19th century England

Kate Strasdin is a dress historian who has been fascinated by old clothes since she was a child. She is a lecturer in Cultural Studies at Falmouth University and is a freelance consultant for dress and textile exhibitions. She has appeared on The Great British Sewing Bee as an expert. In 2016 she was given an anonymous album full of annotated dress swatches that had been kept in a trunk for over fifty years, its original keeper unknown. She spent the next six years unlocking its secrets. She lives in Devon with her husband and two children. Her latest book is The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes: Secrets from a Victorian Woman’s Wardrobe (2023)

Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.