The Aesthetic Economy of Fashion Markets and Value in Clothing and Modelling

by Entwistle, Joanne

• ISBN13: 9781845204730
• ISBN10: 1845204735
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-11-15
• Publisher: Berg Pub Ltd

Summary

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.

Author Biography

Joanne Entwistle is a senior research fellow at the London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Understanding Aesthetic Markets
An Aesthetic Marketplace: Assembling æEconomyÆ and æCultureÆ	p. 23
The Aesthetic Economy: The Production of Value in the Field of Fashion Modelling	p. 51
Fashion Buying: A Case Study
Introduction to Case Study	p. 77
Understanding High Fashion: Retailing and Buying	p. 83
Markets in Motion: Fashion Temporality and Materiality	p. 107
Tacit Aesthetic Knowledge: The Fashion Sense and Sensibility of Fashion Buyers	p. 129
The Cultural Economy of Fashion Buying	p. 149
Conclusion	p. 167
Notes	p. 171
Bibliography	p. 173
Index	p. 185
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