| Abstract [eng] |
The aim of the following paper is to analyze what happens when fashion brand chooses to oppose itself to the conventional idea of beauty. Thus, at the same time, it attempts to raise a question about how the image of such fashion brand is constructed and how imperfection becomes a positive aesthetic value. The corpus consists of four different types of texts produced by “D.efect”: brand logotype, videos (created in 2014 and 2015), digital platform and photo shoots of fashion collections dated from 2013 to 2016. In the first part of the paper, the notion of aesthetics is being determined by examining some works of semioticians as well as in broader philosophical context. The second chapter of this part focuses on the phenomena of alternative aesthetics in Western culture in order to reveal the cultural context in which “D.efect” fashion brand as a cultural product exists. The second part is dedicated to the notion of fashion. First, some works of fashion theoreticians are being reviewed. Then, it is being attempted to define the possibilities of semiotic analysis of fashion discourse by examining the fashion-related works of semioticians. It is concluded that fashion can be defined by some substantive oppositions such as individuality vs universality, extravagancy vs tradition, innovation vs imitation, new vs old, aesthetic vs practical values, constant change vs established standard. It is specified that it is extremely important to examine fashion brands and products not only from the visual semiotics’ perspective but also focus on sociosemiotical approach while analyzing fashion utterances. The third part is devoted to the analysis of the texts produced by “D.efect”. First of all, the beauty of imperfection is declared on the verbal level. Second, on the visual level, imperfection or defect is associated with gap, interruption or deficiency. Moreover, the aesthetics of imperfection is constructed through openness or honesty on all possible levels: plastic as well as figurative and narrative. By this motive, the specific way of being is being established. This way of being is related to being honest to oneself and Other. Paradoxically, the clothes don’t become the main communication object. Minimalistic shape and cut are complemented by unexpected details which strengthen the value of uniqueness communicated by brand. The composition asymmetry which is noticed on plastic level matches the asymmetry of clothes. When the beauty or aesthetics of imperfection is declared, it is possible to talk about the change of beauty standard but not about denying it. In the case of “D.efect“ brand, the change is being established through its relation with existing standard. However, this change becomes a particular requirement, because communication receiver gets clear message about what is beautiful. Fashion brand reflects fashion definition itself through the opposition between change (which is figuratively expressed as a gap) and standard establishment. On the basis of typology offered by Jean-Marie Floch, it seems that the image of “D.efect” aims to propose the fact of style and not the fact of fashion. The image is based on “preserving oneself”-identity. Nevertheless, the analysis revealed that individuality and uniqueness also are universal qualities that can be in fashion. |
