LCF Senior Research Fellow Anja Cronberg is Editor-in-Chief of Vestoj, the journal for critical thinking in fashion. Issue eight is out now, and the theme is one which is topical as we head into London Fashion Week: ‘On Authenticity’
In consumer capitalism authenticity has taken on a supreme importance: in fashion it’s the holy grail. Terms like ‘artisanal,’ ‘heritage,’ ‘craftsmanship’ and ‘storytelling’ have become buzzwords, and conglomerates are fond of referring to their offices as ‘campus’ and co-workers as ‘family.’ But what do we mean when we associate these terms with fashion?
The issue looks at our relationship with dress and appearance to reflect on questions like, Is there such a thing as a ‘real me’ or a ‘genuine self’? How does one live an authentic life? And is it possible to do so in fashion, an environment so characterized by the mood of the moment, so dependent on chameleon-like behaviour. Are fashion and authenticity really antithetical, and if so, what can be learnt from looking at the relationship between the two?
Read more about Vestoj on the LCF Research page.