Adam Smith thinks of fashion as enchantment, so, too, Lacan. Early modern philosophy, iconically dating to Descartes, is a watershed in European consciousness. Before then, gods and demons prevailed, after, everything is only matter in motion. You and I, our dogs and cats, that’s what we are. Many philosophers reacted negatively to this new…
This is a really interesting insight into high stakes football (https://www.thisisanfield.com/2019/06/the-surprise-influence-benfica-b-had-on-liverpools-champions-league-final-success/). The glory and money rewards for winning the Champions League are enormous. Football inspired fashion is a major part of fashion revenues and mostly especially for clubs. I’ve spoken about PSG as a self-conscious fashion venture (https://www.ethicsoffashion.com/psg-football-club-as-fashion/). Liverpool are not, but their recent…
A trend amongst collectors of sneakers is a turn to furniture (https://fashionista.com/2019/05/menswear-streetwear-rare-home-furniture). One seller observes: “As sneakers become more complex and conceptual I think guys are starting to notice details in other things and wanting to elevate their spaces as well.” Pure Hume. The economy is driven by the refinement of the arts…
I do not know precise numbers but I’d bet the vast, vast majority — and maybe all — of fashion’s leaders (owners, designers, editors, etc) and the principal consumers have much of their money lodged in tax havens. Over at Catholic World Report, I have an assessment of a recent Vatican document’s arguments about the…
A recent innovation in advertising is the use of AI or predictive analytics to target readers via emotion. AI has learnt: ““sadness” ads are popular with “socially responsible brands targeting women.”” The NYT has been collating the data and selling it to advertisers so they can better key their product to the consumer (https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/5/21/18634323/new-york-times-emotion-based-ad-targeting-sadness). …
It’s been an amazing week for English footie. Both European cup finals will be fought by English sides only. Drama filled each of the semis, the last second winner for Tottenham a stand out. Liverpool’s victory is one for the history books, though. So it’s good to learn of a tiny maker of handmade…
Today’s op-ed from BOF is most welcome (https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/opinion/op-ed-notes-on-the-met-gucci-and-the-death-of-camp?). A typical op-ed about fashion invokes inclusivity and egalitarianism, democracy and subversion, globalism and the “voice of the street.” It’s a nice change to see the 2019 Met Gala has brought the aristocratic out in Eugene Rabkin. Dozens of pieces will be written about camp over…
Civilisation grows as play, contends Huizinga (V&R Chapter 6). One of his strongest examples is the play character of courts, judges, and trials. Here is an excellent article on clothing choices at recent trials in the US (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/25/fashion/anna-sorokin-elizabeth-holmes-card-b-court-fashion.html). Huizinga would think the defendants are entering into the spirit of the game.
V&R loves Roger Caillois! His work on games adds to the reflections of Huizinga (V&R Chapter 6), which I think analytically potent. Whilst Huizinga dwells on the attributes an activity must have to be a game, Caillois thinks about the classification of games. He identifies four: competition, chance, mimickry, and vertigo. These categories, respectively,…
Over at Law & Liberty, I explore how Smith would morally assess Patagonia’s new moral stance on making fleece vests for banking houses: https://www.lawliberty.org/2019/04/25/fleecing-the-bankers-patagonia-environmentalism/