The American Journal of Fashion
La Publicación Americana de la Moda
O Jornal Americano da Moda
Le Journal Américain de la Mode
Submission Guidelines — American Journal of Fashion
Editorial Documentation

Submission Guidelines

For contributors — research, essays & visual work

About AJF

The American Journal of Fashion is a designer-led publication committed to building a culture of articulation, documentation, and attribution in fashion. We give fashion industry creatives, researchers, and faculty a platform to publish rigorous, original work across the Americas.

We welcome contributions that treat fashion as a field worthy of serious intellectual inquiry — work that documents, interprets, critiques, or advances the practice.

What We Accept

Research Papers & Essays

Original scholarly or critical writing on fashion practice, history, theory, culture, and industry. We are particularly interested in work that documents design process, advances methodological frameworks, or brings underrepresented perspectives from the Americas into critical discourse.

  • Academic research papers with full citations
  • Critical essays and long-form commentary
  • Practice-based research with supporting documentation
  • Interdisciplinary work at the intersection of fashion and adjacent fields

AJF is especially interested in work that documents creative process — not just outcomes. We encourage submissions that make the thinking visible.

Visual & Design Work

Original visual work submitted with written context. Visual submissions must be accompanied by a written component (artist statement, process notes, or critical framing) that situates the work within a broader discourse.

  • Design documentation and process portfolios
  • Original illustration, photography, or graphic work directly related to fashion
  • Archival or research-driven visual projects

Formatting Requirements

Research Papers & Essays

Word count 3,000 – 10,000 words
Citation style Chicago (Notes & Bibliography)
File format .docx or .pdf
Images 300 dpi minimum, captioned

Visual Submissions

Written component 300 – 1,500 words
Image resolution 300 dpi, RGB or CMYK
File format .pdf preferred, or .zip
Max file size 50 MB per submission

Languages

AJF accepts submissions in all languages spoken across the Americas. We are committed to publishing work in its original language alongside an English abstract where applicable. Submissions in languages other than English should include a 250–400 word English-language abstract.

English Spanish Portuguese French Haitian Creole Quechua Guaraní Nahuatl + other Americas languages

Citation Style

All research papers and essays must use the Chicago Manual of Style, Notes and Bibliography system (17th edition or later). Full bibliography required. Footnotes are preferred over in-text parenthetical citations.

Visual submissions with written components should cite sources where applicable, but are not required to follow strict academic citation format.

Review Process

All submissions are reviewed by the AJF editorial team for fit, quality, and originality. We aim to respond to all submissions within 8–12 weeks of receipt. Accepted work may be subject to editorial revisions in collaboration with the author.

AJF is committed to transparent attribution. Contributors retain the right to be identified as the author of their work in all published forms.

What We Do Not Accept

  • Previously published work (including self-published or preprints posted publicly)
  • Work submitted simultaneously to other journals or publications
  • Advertorial, promotional, or sponsored content
  • Work without proper attribution of sources and images

Ready to submit? We look forward to reading your work.

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