Anikó Gál completed her Ph.D. in 2025, in Environmental Sustainability and Wellbeing at the University of Ferrara (Italy). Her main research areas include transitions and transition design, material culture, fashion theory, generational studies and research methods. In particular, she is interested in investigating how garments interact within human life—how they manifest and connect to deep values and needs; and how they reflect genuine self-exploration, kindness and connection within human communities. In her dissertation, “The culture of sustainability in fashion: exploring transitions through wardrobes in Eastern Europe” she carried out a qualitative study on everyday fashion practices of elderly people living in rural areas, offering insights into the use of garments in a marginalised area and age group. Her contribution underlines the cultural aspects of sustainability and of consumption. 

She held workshops and guest lectures at design universities, including the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, the Parsons School of Design in Paris and the Universidade Pontificia Bolivariana in Medellìn. She has published on topics such as desire and fashion, aesthetics and degrowth, wardrobe research and fashion narratives.