The Aesthetic economy of fashion : Markets and value in clothing and modelling
Author
Entwistle, Joanne
Additional Author(s)
-
Publisher
London: Berg, 2009
Language
English
ISBN
9780857854148
Series
Subject(s)
CLOTHING TRADE
FASHION
FASHION--SOCIAL ASPECTS
Notes
. .
Abstract
Fashion is bound up with promoting the ‘new’, concerned with constantly changing aesthetics. The favoured styles or looks of a season arise out of the work of a vast range of different actors who collectively produce, select, distribute and promote the new ideals, before moving on to next season. How, then, are fashionable commodities stabilized long enough for them to be selected, distributed and sold? Since there are few studies that actually examine the work that goes on inside the world of fashion, we know little about these processes. This book addresses this gap in our knowledge by examining how aesthetic products are defined, distributed and valued. It focuses attention on the work of some of the market agents, particularly model agents or ‘bookers’ and fashion buyers, shaping the aesthetics inside their markets. In analysing their work, Entwistle develops a theoretical framework for understanding the distinctive features of aesthetic marketplaces and the aesthetic calculations within them.
