Meet AIU Faculty/Staff
Robin Dutt
Fashion Lecturer
Subjects taught at AIU:
Fashion Styling
Fashion Journalism
Robin Dutt has been working in the fields of fashion journalism, fashion styling and also public relations for well over twenty years. He has worked for a number of titles, including The Sunday Times, The Independent, Elle, Esquire and The Clothes Show Magazine where he was Menswear Editor. Developing these skills he later included radio and television to his portfolio in the first instance as an often invited critic on the BBC World Service and on television as menswear stylist for BBC's Style Challenge. He was invited to front a lifestyle and interiors show for Granada TV and also contributed to the weekly fashion and shopping programme with co-host Suzanne Trocme.
Always having an interest in the worlds of public relations and advertising Robin also began writing fashion press releases and specific copy for companies such as The West Soho Association, Sister PR, Courtney Communications, Home House (a private members club) where he also is chair of the Style Society) and several galleries. He has also devised fashion photo calls for the press. He curated art shows with a fashion bias such as Rob Shepherd's 'American Heroes' at The West Soho Gallery which he helped to establish and most recently the work of Sarah Jeffries an artist who interprets the contemporary fashion pose in oils, shown in Cork Street, Mayfair this June. He also helped to organize a show of fashion photography at Cello, a Mayfair based hair salon. Whilst working closely with The West Soho Association, he sourced and helped set up Yesterday's Bread, a unique concept in the selling of vintage fashion, much of it, dead stock and some adapted to convey a contemporary feel. He has written for Gold Inspirations – the on-line magazine for the World Gold Council, promoting the concept of contemporary gold to a younger audience and was commissioned to curate a show of photographic images of gold jewellery.
Robin continues to work closely with fashion from all angles and most recently was the costume designer on 'Against Nature,' a short art film directed by Anthony Zaki. He is due to perform the same role for Zaki's next film, 'Roundheads and Cavaliers,' due to begin filming in spring. Robin has written a number of books and is currently working on a book about the male wardrobe under the working title of 'Redefining Dandyism.' He has most recently been asked to give a talk on Fashion versus Style by Canon at London Fashion Week, a role he is frequently asked to perform.
At AIU where Robin has been teaching for about 20 years, he has specialized in Fashion Journalism and Fashion Styling but has also taught Public Relations and occasionally Media Communications as a shared course with a colleague. Fashion Journalism as taught by Robin seeks to address the panoply of possibilities, career-wise within its broad remit. Also, invariably during the course, students will make discoveries and find something they are excited to turn into the prospect of a career.
Fashion Styling is a very hands-on course where the students are introduced to the efficacy and import of all imagery from fine art to fashion advertising photography and then attempt to create unique images to set briefs in the AIU photographic studio, working with a professional photographer and models. Still life studies are also undertaken, whether for editorial or advertising purposes.
Robin's teaching philosophy is to keep everything as relevant and contemporaneous as possible and always remind students that whilst these are courses within the fashion remit, they are very tangible entities, career wise. Thus he always encourages them to seek internships and even be inventive by applying for positions or enquiring about possibilities, even when none are advertised. The high importance of developing a memorable, personal style is advised and also to try and experiment with unfamiliar titles and disciplines.
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