Fashion as Aesthetic Experience: A Discussion of Subject-Object Interaction

The study of fashion involves a critical review of its role in producing social phenomena. It involves a circular process of interaction between individuals and society, through use of the fashion object. Fashion elicits social interactions to affect and influence other individuals. In this manner, the experience of fashion and the embodiment of dress allow an exchange of aesthetic values. However, the globalization of the fashion industry has resulted in the homogenization of trends and aesthetic standards, disrupting the symbolic production and emotional experiences of users. Different to other forms of design knowledge, fashion knowledge relies on tactile experience to fulfill both functional and ornamental needs. This knowledge is developed through physical, conceptual and emotional interactions with products. It creates a new code or visual language when rearranged on the surface of the body, inducing emotional responses from users and stimulating physical interactions leading towards the use of fashion objects as a form of social identity. This paper discusses aesthetic experience in relation to the user and the social implications of dress