After exploring a variety of theories, you will have developed a critical eye on the field of Fashion.You will evidence your capacity to grasp the cultural agency of fashion representations. You willevaluate fashion products, retail spaces and branding strategies covered in your other classes andat current fashion news and weekly trending topics, connecting what you see with the theories andcontexts provided in this unit. At the end of the unit, you will choose one case-study and onetheoretical perspective and be able to clearly articulate the cultural implications of your examples.
In 2,000 (plus Appendix and Bibliography) words you will develop a research question on one of thefollowing themes. Your question must reflect your capacity to engage with the theories discussed inclass and apply them to a suitable case-study:
– Fashion values. Evaluate one of the following issues: Slow and Sustainable Fashion;Technological Developments; the impact of Globalisation; Equality and Diversity in the Fashionindustry.
– Accessibility, exclusivity, and Luxury. Explore a question around mass production and the searchof exclusivity in luxury fashion. You may include aspects of taste, class and distinction.
– Freedom and control. Discuss notions of liberation, self-expression, conformity and belonging inrelation to fashion practices. How are concepts of identity beyond the individual reflected in thecurrent globalised fashion arena? Choose a case-study of a brand, a garment or fashion artefact, a retailer or a marketing strategy, or anexample from fashion media. Reflect upon the cultural relevance of your example and link it withcontemporary issues debated in class (e.g., sustainability, gender, fashion change, power). Includerelevant primary research (e.g., visual observation, material analysis). Authors discussed in class andon the Reading List must be referenced in your essay, which should bring together a minimum of 10good academic references from academic journals or books. These may be supplemented with reliablewebsites, trade journals, newspapers and magazine references. Your essay must be underpinned by appropriate literature and secondary research, direct and indirectquotes (using Harvard referencing) and visuals (a minimum of three images).Your writing must be clear and include an introduction to your subject matter, a development of yourargument and a conclusion. The text must be professionally presented and formatted in clean A4 sizepaper, black text and double spaced.Format: 2000 words plus appendices – A4 double spaced, 12-point Arial. Use of images correctlyreferenced and formatted is crucial. Below in the file is the topic I choose: Freedom and control – Discuss notions of liberation, self-expression, conformity and belonging in relation to fashion practices. How are concepts of identity beyond the individual reflected in the current globalised fashion arena?
