Bieke van Nes – 426520 Business History of Fashion – Summary
November 6th, 2017
Business History of Fashion Summary – Exam November 6th, 2017
Week 1
Fashion as a dress
Simmel Trickle-down theory: fashion influences only the upper classes, as soon
as the lower classes start copying their style, the upper class has to redefine the
boundary between them by finding a new style.
Still relevant, or more and more bottom-up theory?
Humans have dualistic nature (masculine/feminine, motion/response), same in
society Generalization (imitation)/specialization (individualization)
Fashion gives the opportunity to imitate and differentiate!
Fashion – the struggle to balance fitting in with standing out without the need
to satisfy both desires, there would be no fashion.
Fashion does not only involve clothing, but any type of art.
According to Simmel, women do not have a position within a class, and fashion
makes up for that lack. Women are less different and feel a bigger need to fit in
with the average.
Edelkoort – Anti-Fashion: Students are trained to be individual designers, very
20th century, when nowadays fashion is more of an interaction.
Fashion: cultural force that draws sustenance from social customs, group
psychology, material life, economic institutions and other types of human
interactions and, in turn, influences them / an unplanned process of recurrent
change against a backdrop of order in the public realm.
Blaszczyk Fashion in 4 cultural areas:
Mode: the way we dress
Manners: the way we express ourselves
Mores: the way we live
Markets: demographic and psychological
Fad: sudden changes, often spread quickly and fade away rapidly
Innovation: alters social practices in a deeper way and has a longer-lasting effect
Style: a combination of silhouette, construction, fabric and details that exist and
thus can be used over time (e.g. Punk)
Trend: a direction in which fashion may be heading
1
, Bieke van Nes – 426520 Business History of Fashion – Summary
November 6th, 2017
Week 2
Johannes Guttenberg – First person to show practicalities of movable press
Guttenberg’s Printing Press accelerated spread of Renaissance culture
Before 1500: 2500 European cities with printing presses
Ruane – The Development of the Russian Fashion Press
In Russia Big issue of censorship
18th century: Tsar Peter the Great was in love with Europe, wanted Russia to be
and dress more like Europe.
Problem late arrival of European fashion magazines
Solution publishing domestic fashion magazine
Early 19th century: Establishing fashion press in Russia
Challenges
Size of the reading public
Market too small for women prior to 1830
Technological problems
Rise of romantic nationalism
- Creation of national literature
- Literary genius as male
1828: Central Censorship Administration – Prevent circulation of ideas
undermining the government
2 functions: editorial and maintenance of the status quo
Reporting on styles from Paris and St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg women
had superior taste)
French fashions made suitable for Russian conditions
Advertising and supplements
Important female publishers (Safanova and Riumina)
Late 19th century: Birth of new journalism in Europe and America
Main developments
- Technological advancements
- Larger print runs
- Large publishing houses
- Expansion of public education
New journalism in Russia: uneven development
New censorship statute in 1865
Publishing technologies
Size of the reading public
Transportation system
Small circulation figures compared to other countries
2
November 6th, 2017
Business History of Fashion Summary – Exam November 6th, 2017
Week 1
Fashion as a dress
Simmel Trickle-down theory: fashion influences only the upper classes, as soon
as the lower classes start copying their style, the upper class has to redefine the
boundary between them by finding a new style.
Still relevant, or more and more bottom-up theory?
Humans have dualistic nature (masculine/feminine, motion/response), same in
society Generalization (imitation)/specialization (individualization)
Fashion gives the opportunity to imitate and differentiate!
Fashion – the struggle to balance fitting in with standing out without the need
to satisfy both desires, there would be no fashion.
Fashion does not only involve clothing, but any type of art.
According to Simmel, women do not have a position within a class, and fashion
makes up for that lack. Women are less different and feel a bigger need to fit in
with the average.
Edelkoort – Anti-Fashion: Students are trained to be individual designers, very
20th century, when nowadays fashion is more of an interaction.
Fashion: cultural force that draws sustenance from social customs, group
psychology, material life, economic institutions and other types of human
interactions and, in turn, influences them / an unplanned process of recurrent
change against a backdrop of order in the public realm.
Blaszczyk Fashion in 4 cultural areas:
Mode: the way we dress
Manners: the way we express ourselves
Mores: the way we live
Markets: demographic and psychological
Fad: sudden changes, often spread quickly and fade away rapidly
Innovation: alters social practices in a deeper way and has a longer-lasting effect
Style: a combination of silhouette, construction, fabric and details that exist and
thus can be used over time (e.g. Punk)
Trend: a direction in which fashion may be heading
1
, Bieke van Nes – 426520 Business History of Fashion – Summary
November 6th, 2017
Week 2
Johannes Guttenberg – First person to show practicalities of movable press
Guttenberg’s Printing Press accelerated spread of Renaissance culture
Before 1500: 2500 European cities with printing presses
Ruane – The Development of the Russian Fashion Press
In Russia Big issue of censorship
18th century: Tsar Peter the Great was in love with Europe, wanted Russia to be
and dress more like Europe.
Problem late arrival of European fashion magazines
Solution publishing domestic fashion magazine
Early 19th century: Establishing fashion press in Russia
Challenges
Size of the reading public
Market too small for women prior to 1830
Technological problems
Rise of romantic nationalism
- Creation of national literature
- Literary genius as male
1828: Central Censorship Administration – Prevent circulation of ideas
undermining the government
2 functions: editorial and maintenance of the status quo
Reporting on styles from Paris and St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg women
had superior taste)
French fashions made suitable for Russian conditions
Advertising and supplements
Important female publishers (Safanova and Riumina)
Late 19th century: Birth of new journalism in Europe and America
Main developments
- Technological advancements
- Larger print runs
- Large publishing houses
- Expansion of public education
New journalism in Russia: uneven development
New censorship statute in 1865
Publishing technologies
Size of the reading public
Transportation system
Small circulation figures compared to other countries
2
