“Connor Carmichael”

Founder & Director, The Institute for Modern Dress™

Connor Carmichael established The Institute for Modern Dress as a research body dedicated to studying fashion as a living system — a balance between cultural expression, material innovation, and human psychology.

He views clothing not as trend, but as proof of human design — a mirror of discipline, intention, and comfort.

Before launching the Institute, Carmichael founded Alive Not Thread™, a fashion label exploring luxury through simplicity and comfort. His transition from brand-building to research was driven by one question: “What does it mean for design to feel alive?”

Today, the Institute serves as a space where philosophy, form, and material meet — where fashion is treated as cultural documentation, not consumer product.