The Fur Coat and the Cohesive Outfit

By Elleree Erdos

I noticed this woman browsing just down the street from the NYU campus, on rue de Passy. The fur coat is an explicit display of power; not only does the opulence of material itself put the wearer's financial status (or her choice of monetary allocation), it also puts forth an image of the power of mankind's dominance over other species. Furthermore, the fur coat allows a woman to wear her political beliefs (or lack thereof) on her sleeve--literally. Just as the woman in Jessica's photograph makes a humanitarian statement with her choice of imitation fur, this woman makes a different kind of statement, at once monetary, personal, and political. I've observed a lot of women of all ages in fur coats and capelets, but this woman in particular struck me with the cohesiveness of her ensemble. She wore a pair of sleek brown leather boots, as well, which I wasn't able to capture in the spur-of-the-moment photo. The opulence of her accessories (even the shopping bag) and the combination of garments strengthened her inherent statement. A single item can be made to give an enormous variety of impressions--an idea that screamed out at me when I saw a prostitute in fishnets and high-heeled black boots wearing a similar fur coat off the shoulder as I ran through the Bois de Boulogne on Friday...

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The Knee-High Boot

Knee high boots make a powerful statement in a few ways. The powerful feeling most likely stems from combat-army type boots, signifying perhaps some sort of authoritative power. This type of power tends to translate in women's fashion as "confidence." However, I think the most powerful statement these boots make is a dedication to looking attractive. The extra half-foot of fabric that allows the boots to reach the knee has very little utilitarian value. However, it does send a message, perhaps mostly to women, that investing in these boots makes me both trend-conscious and aesthetically aware that boots that reach the knee creates a flattering shape. It reminds me of the "Prius Wave" in "Curb Your Enthusiasm" that there is a code among trendy women who have all invested in the knee-high boot. These boots represent, I would say, the Democratization of Fashion.

Nicolle D'Onofrio

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The Blazer

by Rebecca Ann Wong

First seen in workwear and preppy school uniforms, the blazer has long been the go-to piece for business formal wear. In recent times, however, the blazer seems to have come a long way from simply fulfilling one�s need to come across as professional. Instead, this tailored, crisp jacket has slowly transcended from being a staple in the wardrobes of working men and women to becoming a statement piece in the closets of trendy fashionistas looking to appear smart and polished. The blazer is best described to emulate power based off gender identity, since it is a piece that first stemmed from fitted menswear and is also one that has the ability to add an androgynous, modern flair to any ensemble.

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Heels

by Justina Lee

Power is the ability to make someone do something against his or her will - such is the definition of power from the politics classes that I have taken. Power is thus the exertion of authority. And if fashion is a form of expression, of reducing a more complex message into an external symbol, those extra few inches provided by a pair of heels are often intended to convey the message of authority. Slip into your three-inch heels and tower over your contemporaries; look down upon them and give your commands. The image of the higher versus the lower, the clinks versus the thumps still evoke a sense of power disparity. You may be disadvantaged while darting for the bus, but naturally blessed with long, lean legs or not, most benefit from the elevation of heels - a symbol of the elevation of power.

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The Fedora

By Zo-Ee Chee

What do you think of when you see a fedora? I see the Rat Pack, Frank Sinatra, gangsters, film noir; all of which connote masculinity. Ironically, though it started as a women�s hat in the late 19^th century, we mostly recognize this hat as a distinctive feature of men�s fashion from the Great Depression Era. Accompanying three-piece suits and maybe even a Tommy gun, the fedora emanated masculine charm and today evokes memories of a specific and visually recognizable period in American history. However, fashion is cyclical and it is now not unusual to see women wearing this iconic hat. Oftentimes, it is not just a stylish accessory but the statement piece of an outfit that upends stereotypical feminity. The fedora is a play on gender identity thus empowering female wearers with a tougher and more masculine edge.

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Fashion and Power - EcoPower

By Jessica Noone

While on the metro, I noticed the woman across from me and her fur-imitation shirt. This showcases power in a number of ways. Fur is seen as a sign of power, as only the rich can afford it and it is very rare to come across. However, this woman is responding to the current movement toward eco-friendliness and animal rights by wearing a shirt which has nothing to do with the actual fur of animals. In this way, she is showcasing her personal power to choose how her clothing is made, while at the same time, calling upon subconscious images of animal fur and the connotations that go along with it.

This woman is creating a commentary on the power of the Global Chic and a hope for ethical fashion practices in the future.

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Fashion & Power Introduction

We will explore many interactions of fashion and power. Perhaps the most significant is the capacity of clothing for empowerment. Clothing functions as use and a second language of signs, activated through power symbols and associations. The system of clothing's meaning known as fashion emphasizes a free play of signs.

As a case study to start the semester we look closely at a project by SHOWstudio, the online fashion site founded by Nick Knight. Knight began with a photo series of Skinheads in 1982, below left. He now photographs fashion, below right from 2006.

Political Fashion was SHOWstudio's 2008 investigation into the relationship between fashion & power though short films and essays.

View the film short on Red Shoes in Liberia

The quotes that follow have been taken from SHOWstudio essays.

It is always uncomfortable when fashion takes itself seriously. How can something so much concerned with surface have a political agenda of any depth? Yet other forms of popular culture are allowed to weight themselves without much quibble: film, sport, art, music, comedy. � The wise fashion designer has learnt to keep quiet about political agendas. How can anyone be both fashionable and informed? Yet the very act of dressing in the morning is a personal declaration of stance, aesthetics, consumption and class. If that is not political, then what is?, Jane Audas

Yoshi Yamamoto, 1991

Fashion is inherently political. The choice of what to wear each morning marks you out as a sentient being. It is a manner, albeit tacit, of advertising a point of view, a belief system, like scrawling your cultural affiliations across your chest. Fashion, in short, is sartorial propaganda., "Power Dressing," Alexander Fury

We will begin by looking at what are fashion & power in society. Are they merely perceptions and assumptions? Does any garment hold power? how does context enrich significance?

We will deepen our understanding of fashion and power through a close look at French fashion history going back to the 18th century through modernity.

Dress of Marie Antoinette�s court, 1770�s and Coco Chanel with Suzy Parker, 1957

[At all the fashion shows] the story was the same: footwear that had become an abstraction, not a vehicle that would allow a woman to motor through life, but one that would chain her, complicate her life, render her... dependent�.I would like to give fashion the benefit of the doubt. Raf Simons and Stella McCartney do so much sartorially to liberate women, to make them look slick and strong through the cut of a jacket, the generosity of a collar and the absence of extraneous gewgaws. "The Politics of Shoes," Vanessa Friedman

We will consider fashion and gender identity expression as represented below in Nathaniel Goldberg of Karolina Kurakova, 2011 and JW Anderson 2008.

The fashionable aesthetics created by the industry are predominantly white. Too often when black and Asian models are used, and when designers reference non-white cultures, this is primarily to promote an image of exoticism, a concept which itself was constructed by white Westerners, Rebecca Arnold

We will then look at subcultural identity expression. In fashion, as the quote states mass culture is white and conservative. Subcultures can be both ethnicity and social class. Below left is the Zoot Suit phenomenon which was associated with African and Mexican Americans and below right a Preppy advertisement the Coach created for the Asian market.

If politics is about the exercise and regulation of power in public and private life, then fashion would appear to be the ideal mirror of, and vehicle for political action. In all aspects of its production, dissemination and use the fashion product engages in a distinctive polity. Its materials relate to ethical values; its manufacture is informed by the legal and illegal practices of government and business; its promotion entails an engagement with a visual politics of persuasion; and its wearing ignites the fiercest moral debates., "Fashion & Politics," Christopher Breward

Below left Chanel front row 1967 and right Chanel front row 2010. The mix of guests includes fashion journalists, socialites and celebrities who collectively evaluate each collection's significance along with the larger public. The shows reinforce fashion industry power.

So who is to blame for the fashion media�s apparent lack of opinion? Is it the advertisers, the designers or the magazine editors themselves? Or is it us, the consumers that buy into it all? Fashion is a fascinating and luminous industry that thrives on new ideas. The communication of this revolutionary business should be matched in all its varied discussions. Fashion journalism shouldn't be about cheerleading. Surely vigorous, balanced debate can add another dimension to the surface gloss that currently exists? �The Politics of Fashion Journalism,� Hywell Davies

We will look at the power of appearances and the way which fashion media negotiate desire.

Miu Miu, S 2011

For every crisis moment: armed raid, knife crime, hostage scene, terror alert or suicide bombing, there is likely to be a covered head paraded in the media, underlining our fears and stoking our deepest anxieties. In the collective unconscious, the hooded face evokes the terror of nightmares: the executioner, rapist, armed intruder. In these times of uncertainty and dread, the media has provided a visible enemy, one we recognise and can categorise. Somehow, this makes the prevailing climate of paranoia manageable. More endurable. "Run for the Shadows," Nilgin Yusuf

The primary difference between subculture and counterculture is in counterculture is action deliberately intended as aggression against the established power or fashion industry using oppositional forms. This can be problematic because the normative faith expression is based on context and may be considered both subculture and counterculture. True counter-fashion is seen in the Antwerp 6 movement of designers that oppose fashion conventions. Opposition to fashion can also be seen in counterfeiting, which in French is Contrefacon or "counter" making.

Left Ann Demeulemeester of the Antwerp 6, 1989

We must buy less. This requires a fundamental shift in attitude in the fashion world. Could it be good news? Perhaps so. A return to quality rather than quantity. An emphasis on recycling and reinvention. A rebirth of DIY and craft skills. A focus on the regeneration of local production rather than the exploitation of cheap labour in the developing world., "Fashion�s Eco Political Dilema," Roger Trede

The masses are beginning to express force with aspects like eco fashion. The larger democratization of fashion can be seen in the free mix of street styles, accessibility through designer mass collaborations and entry level luxury.

Fashion is a vast industry which sells us a dream: buying a dress, a handbag or even a fridge, restaurant or holiday will make us feel more beautiful, intelligent or successful. Most of us want to be part of that dream. Selling that inherent value added quality influences the economic, creative and cultural sectors of UK society. It is a serious business., "The Politics of Fashion," Frances Corner

We will consider the significance of costume design. Below Yves Saint Laurent's designs for Belle du Jour (1967). Costume design is the true play of fashion forms but relies on collective understanding of those forms as well as acceptance of the dream space of media as somehow connected to the real.

Obsolescence is the defining feature of fashion. This industrially mediated process, whereby outmoded, rather than outworn, becomes the stimulus for purchase has far reaching political implications. Environmentally, fashion becomes, in these terms, the inverse of sustainability. Furthermore, in terms of the structuring effect on clothing manufacturing processes, obsolescence, as manifested in continual change in the clothing constituted as appropriate and desirable, feeds the ethical spectre that looms over the fashion industry: the sweat shop. �The murderous, meaningless caprices of fashion�. Karl Marx, 1867, Capital (1)by Adam Briggs

We will consider the global dimension of fashion which includes a Westernization that extends some aspects of Colonial oppression but also includes the rise of Global Chic, and a new relevance and power for BRICK countries. The question is if new design is being too strongly mediated through established Western fashion and power forms.

A Vogue for every country? Above Vogue India featuring Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai, 2008 and right Shanghai wool designer Qiu Hao, 2009.

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