A01=Gilles Lipovetsky
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Author_Gilles Lipovetsky
Bourgeoisie
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Clothing
Consumerism
Contemporary society
Corset
Cosmetic industry
Cosmetics
Council of Vienne
Couturier
Cultural homogenization
Cultural liberalism
Culture industry
Designer
Designer label
Diversification (marketing strategy)
Economic planning
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Fashion Center
Fashion design
Fashion doll
Fashion House
Fashion Revolution
Fashion week
Femininity
Fine art
Gimmick
Haute couture
Home appliance
Ideology
Imperialism
Individualism
Interior design
Liberalization
Luxury goods
Marilyn Monroe
Mass production
Mass society
Media culture
Model (person)
Modernism
Modernity
Narcissism
Nina Ricci (designer)
Nobility
Originality
Outfit (retailer)
Parisian (department store)
Paul Poiret
Perfume
Personalization
Police state
Political correctness
Product lining
Profession
Protectionism
Public sphere
Radical chic
Renaissance architecture
Revolution
Seduction
Slogan
Sportswear (fashion)
Sumptuary law
The Realist
Trade fair
Product details
- ISBN 9780691102627
- Weight: 425g
- Dimensions: 152 x 235mm
- Publication Date: 21 Jul 2002
- Publisher: Princeton University Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Paperback
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In a book full of playful irony and striking insights, the controversial social philosopher Gilles Lipovetsky draws on the history of fashion to demonstrate that the modern cult of appearance and superficiality actually serves the common good. Focusing on clothing, bodily deportment, sex roles, sexual practices, and political rhetoric as forms of "fashion," Lipovetsky bounds across two thousand years of history, showing how the evolution of fashion from an upper-class privilege into a vehicle of popular expression closely follows the rise of democratic values. Whereas Tocqueville feared that mass culture would create passive citizens incapable of political reasoning, Lipovetsky argues that today's mass-produced fashion offers many choices, which in turn enable consumers to become complex individuals within a consolidated, democratically educated society. Superficiality fosters tolerance among different groups within a society, claims Lipovetsky. To analyze fashion's role in smoothing over social conflict, he abandons class analysis in favor of an inquiry into the symbolism of everyday life and the creation of ephemeral desire.
Lipovetsky examines the malaise experienced by people who, because they can fulfill so many desires, lose their sense of identity. His conclusions raise disturbing questions about personal joy and anguish in modern democracy.
Gilles Lipovetsky teaches philosophy in Grenoble. He is the author of "L'Ere du vide" and "Le Crepuscule du devoir," both published by Gallimard.
