Anthem Studies in Fashion, Dress and Visual Cultures – serie

The book highlights how the signs of fashion showcase stories, hybridations, forms of feeling, from the classics of fashion in cinema, to fashion as cultural tradition in the global world, to digital media. Based on a strong socio-semiotic method (Barthes, The Language of Fashion is the main reference), the book crosses some of the main aspects of the contemporary culture of the clothed body: from time and space, to gender, to fashion as cultural translation, to the narratives included in the media convergence of our age. According to Jurji Lotman, fashion introduces the dynamic principle into seemingly inert spheres of the everyday. Fashion’s unexpected function of overturning received meaning is conveyed through its collocation within the dynamic storehouse of what Lotman calls the “sphere of the unpredictable.” In this horizon, the concept of fashion as a worldly system of sense (Benjamin) generates different “worlds” through its signs.

The book explores the dandy as a cultural type across Europe and Russia from the eighteenth century through the present day. Olga Vainshtein offers a unique view on dandyism as a cultural tradition, based not merely on fashionable attire, but also as a particular lifestyle with specific standards of behaviour, bodily practices and conceptual approaches to dress. The dandy is described as the prototypical hero of the modern cult of celebrities. From clubbing manners, the techniques of virtual aristocratism, urban flâneurs and the correct way to examine people, Vainshtein walks us through optical duels and the techniques of visual assessment at social gatherings. Readers will learn about strategies of subversive behaviour found in practical jokes, the fine art of noble scandal, dry wit, bare-faced impudence and mocking politeness. Looking at dandyism as a nineteenth-century literary movement, Vainshtein examines representation of dandies in fiction. Finally, a large section is devoted to Russian and Soviet dandyism. Vainshtein also discusses contemporary dandyism,  including  African sapeurs.

The book explores the dandy as a cultural type across Europe and Russia from the eighteenth century through the present day. Olga Vainshtein offers a unique view on dandyism as a cultural tradition, based not merely on fashionable attire, but also as a particular lifestyle with specific standards of behaviour, bodily practices and conceptual approaches to dress. The dandy is described as the prototypical hero of the modern cult of celebrities. From clubbing manners, the techniques of virtual aristocratism, urban flâneurs and the correct way to examine people, Vainshtein walks us through optical duels and the techniques of visual assessment at social gatherings. Readers will learn about strategies of subversive behaviour found in practical jokes, the fine art of noble scandal, dry wit, bare-faced impudence and mocking politeness. Looking at dandyism as a nineteenth-century literary movement, Vainshtein examines representation of dandies in fiction. Finally, a large section is devoted to Russian and Soviet dandyism. Vainshtein also discusses contemporary dandyism,  including  African sapeurs.

Raf Simons: Fashion, Communication, and Modern Masculinity offers an in-depth look at how Raf Simons, through his bold and boundary-pushing designs, has become a pivotal figure in reshaping the discourse on masculinity in fashion. Starting from his early collections to his leadership at renowned fashion houses like Jil Sander, Dior, and Calvin Klein, the book traces Simons’s journey in using fashion as a platform to comment on societal pressures, identity, and modern manhood.The book not only highlights Simons’s ability to merge subcultural references with high fashion but also his unique talent for creating garments that convey complex narratives of masculinity, individuality, and rebellion. Through detailed analyses of his most iconic collections, Simons’s work is positioned as a significant cultural force that speaks to the evolving perceptions of gender roles and self-expression in contemporary society.Interviews with key collaborators and rare archival insights give readers an inside view of the creative processes behind Simons’s groundbreaking designs. By connecting fashion with broader cultural and gender studies, the book invites a deeper understanding of how clothing can shape and reflect the changing definitions of masculinity today.