Fashion under Fascism: Beyond the Black Shirt

by Eugenia Paulicelli, Joanne B. Eicher (Editor)

Overview

When we think of Italian fashion, Gucci, Max Mara and the meteoric rise of Prada immediately spring to mind. But Italian fashion has a dark history that has not previously been explored. The Fascism of 1930s Italy dominated more than just politics - it spilled over into modes of dress. Fashion under Fascism is the first book to consider this link in detail.Fashion often functions as a tacit means of making a social statement, but under Mussolini it vividly reflected political tyranny. Ones allegiance to the regime was choreographed by the dictatorship with the intent of creating a new national consciousness. Women in particular were manipulated through fashion ideals to create an authentic Italian femininity. Paulicelli explores the subtle yet sinister changes to the seemingly innocuous practices of everyday dress and shows why they were such a concern for the state. Importantly, she also demonstrates how these developments impacted on the global dominance of Italian fashion today.This fascinating book includes interviews with major designers, such as Fernanda Gattinoni and Micol Fontana, and sheds new light on the complicated relationship between style and politics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781859737781
Publisher:	Berg Publishers
Publication date:	02/01/2004
Series:	Dress, Body, Culture , #5
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	553,388
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.51(d)

About the Author

Eugenia Paulicelli is Professor of Italian, Comparative Literature and Women's Studies at Queens College and The Graduate Center, The City University of New York (CUNY), USA. At The Graduate Center she directs Fashion Studies in the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) and the PhD Concentration. Among her books: Beyond the Black Shirt (2004); Moda e Moderno (editor, 2006); The Fabric of Cultures: Fashion, Identity, Globalization (co-editor, 2009); Writing Fashion in Early Modern Italy (2014); Rosa Genoni: Fashion is a Serious Business (2015); Italian Style: Fashion & Film from Early Cinema to the Digital Age (2016).

Table of Contents

Fashion, Gender and Power in Interwar Italy * Disciplining the Body, Language and Style * Dress, Style and the National Brand * Nationalizing the Fashion Industry? Beyond the Black Shirt—Resisting the Code * Appendices * Interviews with Fernanda Gattinoni and Micol Fontana

Editorial Reviews

"An excellent contribution to the history of Italian fashion and culture in the first half of the 20th century ... The book could be used by undergraduate and postgraduate students of Italian studies, cultural and women's studies, and history. It should also appeal to anyone attracted to fashion as a cultural and social phenomenon." --Times Higher Education Supplement

"A vivid account of the Italian garment business before and during Fascist rule." --London Review of Books

"This book addresses a variety of important subjects with a deft and illuminating touch. The first study of its kind in English, it is a stimulating examination of Italian fashion in the fascist period that makes excellent use of historical and cultural sources." --Stephen Gundle, Royal Holloway College, University of London, UK

"With her considerable background in comparative literature ..., Paulicelli is at her best when analyzing various kinds of texts. .. For such a short book ..., Fashion under Fascism is packed with details, many using sources that have never been translated into English." --PopMatters

From the Publisher