UNT Special Collections 2026 Research Fellowship Awardees
Dr. Kelcie Slaton and Dr. Annette Becker
Project Title
Remembering Fortnight: Oral Histories of Luxury, Culture, and Identity in Neiman Marcus Retail Spectacle
Project Description
This project documents and analyzes the lived experiences of individuals who attended Neiman Marcus Fortnight events, iconic retail spectacles that blended fashion, culture, and luxury in mid-20th-century Dallas. Using oral history interviews alongside archival materials from UNT Special Collections, the study explores how these events shaped consumer perceptions of luxury, cultural identity, and social meaning. By integrating memory with material archives, the project advances scholarship on retail as a cultural institution and preserves narratives at risk of being lost.
Biography
Dr. Kelcie Slaton is an Assistant Professor in the College of Merchandising, Hospitality, and Tourism at the University of North Texas, specializing in luxury retailing, consumer behavior, and digital retail strategy. She holds a Ph.D. in Apparel Merchandising and Design from Iowa State University and has industry experience with Neiman Marcus Group, informing her research on luxury consumption and retail innovation. Her scholarship has been published in leading journals such as Journal of Retailing, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, and Sustainability, with her recent work featured as a cover article in the Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research. Dr. Slaton’s research integrates quantitative and qualitative methods to examine evolving consumer experiences across physical and digital retail environments.
Annette Becker is Director of the Texas Fashion Collection at the University of North Texas and a scholar of fashion history, material culture, and oral history. She earned her Ph.D. in History from UNT, with expertise spanning American fashion, museum studies, and digital history. Becker has curated numerous exhibitions, including projects on Neiman Marcus and the cultural history of fashion, and has conducted and archived oral histories within UNT Special Collections. Her work has been published in journals and edited volumes focused on fashion and cultural production, and she is an active presenter in academic and public history forums.
