"Welcome to Fashionscape: Consumers' Interpretations and Use of Fashion, Clothes and Shopping"
About the author
The author of the article holds a Bachelor degree (BA) in Journalism and Public Relations from Tartu University, Estonia, and a Master diploma in Media and Communication from Stockholm University, Sweden. She is currently striving towards a degree (MA) in Communication Managent from Tartu University. The author of this article is interested in consumer society, material culture and visual communication, particularly in how fashion is used as a way of communication.
Abstract
This is an interdisciplinary study of fashion as a material culture and spatial practice. With this article I propose for the use of new interdisciplinary concept within fashion, media and consumer research – the "Fashionscape" that helps to explore fashion and clothing as an overwhelming social and spatial practice in relation to media and consumption. First part of the article underpins "Fashionscape" theoretically and opens up through individual logic in the second part with the empirical analysis of fashion landscape and fashion as a social practice. Eight in-depth interviews with eleven respondents from Sweden, Germany, France, Lithuania and Estonia were carried through to highlight consumer behavior within „Fashionscapes“ and answer the stated research questions. Consumer interpretations on the essence of clothing and fashion as a way of communication show how the practice of "Fashionscape" is unavoidable in the urban context. The nodes of clothing, fashion, media and consumption from the consumer point of view make this study a fresh approach to the ever-attracting world of fashion.
Keywords: Fashionscape, urban space, mediaspace, fashion, shopping
"Living in the city, going out and meeting many people makes you to think and care about your image - how you look like and what people think about you… you always think or are aware of how people see you. The way you want to appear to others via fashion is part of this social interaction and social game." (Mathias, 24)
Introduction
Historical, Consumer and Media Research On Fashion, Dress And Consumption
1. CONCEPTUALIZING "FASHIONSCAPE" IN THEORY: Space - Mediaspace - Scapes - Fashionscape
1.1. From Fashion to "Fashionscape"
Methodology and Sampling
Respondent Profiles
2. INDIVIDUAL LOGIC WITHIN "FASHIONSCAPE"
2.1. How Consumers Understand and See Fashion System?
2.2. What Language Does Fashion Speak? Individual, Social, Geographical, Media- and Consumer capitalist
3. SOCIAL PRACTICE OF FASHION & SHOPPING
3.1. Fashion as A Hobby: Desire For The New
3.2. Understandings of Fashion in Relation to Shopping Practices
Conclusion
Notes
References
