Fashion: A Manifesto

by Anouchka Grose

With a critical eye trained on the capitalistic allure and environmental impact of the fashion industry, this timely and stirringly argued book puts forward a radical new approach to the way we represent ourselves through our clothes.

A Manifesto takes a look at the psychology of fashion in order to unpick the hold it has on so many of us. On the one hand clothes can supposedly help you out with embodied life by concealing the bits you feel ashamed of and accentuating the bits you’re proud of. However, fashion isn’t really about clothes in any practical sense, but rather the endless replacement of clothes by other clothes, and especially the vilification of certain styles and the extreme elevation of others.

Like gambling, fashion is a system that keeps us captivated by treating us badly, trapping us in a cycle of promises and dashed hopes by suggesting that new clothes will help us to like ourselves more. And while it’s easy to dismiss fashion as elitist and wasteful, isn’t fashion also fascinating, exciting and perhaps sometimes even radical—not to mention surprisingly egalitarian?

Rather than insisting we give up on the pleasures that clothes have to offer, this brilliant new book by psychoanalyst and writer Anouchka Grose puts forward a post-fashion logic that rejects the parade of manufactured novelties in favor of more idiosyncratic forms of sartorial imitation.

Taking us on a journey from the court of Louis XIV to TikTok’s avant apocalypse, A Manifesto scrutinizes fashion from a number of historically, psychologically, politically, environmentally, even linguistically, to open up questions about the ways in which it works both for and against us and looks forward to a future where our clothes treat us—not to mention the planet—a great deal more kindly.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

Published April 18, 2023

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice intro to the history of fashion, and its current state! As someone who's interested in learning more about the subject, I found this to be an interesting and useful place to start. The psychology aspects also felt unique, like they might not always be included in a book about fashion and I liked that as well. I hope we can continue to go into a place where fashion is fun and less harmful for the environment and workers.

[Giuliana Matarrese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un saggio contemporaneo che ci ricorda gli studi e le annotazioni sulla moda dei grandi pensatori dell’era moderna da Marx a Lacan, per spiegarci perché, nonostante si tratti oggi di un’industria problematica su più fronti, é ancora necessario studiarla, ma soprattutto prenderla sul serio.

[Kia]

liked her writing on other people's fashion writing but as a manifesto this really says nothing. there's depop girls on youtube with more original fashion analyses. i wish she'd just written a lit review or something

[wilowu_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Non vergognatevi di godervi l'effetto alienante che possono dare degli abiti insoliti. Se guardandovi allo specchio sentite una scarica di adrenalina mentre sperimentate un nuovo abbinamento, è una cosa fantastica. Non significa che siete dei terribili narcisisti. Significa che state usando la struttura un po’ strana della psiche umana per trarre piacere temporaneo dal non riconoscervi completamente. Dato che siamo condannati a guardare verso l'esterno in un tentativo senza fine di capire cosa accade dentro di noi, forse è una buona idea prendersi qualche soddisfazione strada facendo. Se vedete qualcuno che secondo voi ha un aspetto incredibile - magari qualcuno che sembra particolarmente "se stesso" nei suoi abiti - quale modo migliore per rendergli omaggio che provare a mettervi qualcosa di simile? Un po della vostra ammirazione per loro vi con-tagia? Fantastico! Piacersi è una cosa buona. Forse qualcuno vi vedrà mentre vi osservate e vi sentite un po' meglio con voi stessi, il che potrebbe a sua volta aiutarli. La rivalità non è Punica relazione sociale. Copiare può essere un atto gentile.”

[Karla Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Designers clothes copied by fast fashion.

NFTs are not environment friendly.

Simpson and Balenciaga

Book Recs:

**Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk

**Clothes, Clothes, Clothes, Music, Music, Music, Boys, Boys, Boys

~the new york dolls rock band

~Richard Hell

~sex pistols and heroine

(the first wave of punk clothing was environmentally friendly)

NOW AND ZEN

~Nirvana

~Maison Margiela

“Rivalry isn’t the only social relation. Copying can be kind.”

[Valeria Pi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ho trovato alcuni spunti davvero interessanti, soprattutto verso la fine (l’origine del punk, la maledizione del vinile rosso e la controversia delle NFT).

Quel che non mi ha fatto impazzire è che ho avuto la sensazione che l’autrice desse un pelo per scontato che i suoi pensieri e le sue convinzioni e/o pressioni sociali riguardo la moda dovessero essere per forza condivise dal lettore. Sarà che personalmente non ho mai provato quel tipo di invidia o di FOMO che lei descrive per degli abiti. Però, ribadisco, potrebbe essere una sensazione mia!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bite-sized book intent on examining (in broad strokes) various aspects of the past, present, and future of fashion. I found "Horror: The Body in Fashion," "Lucky Punk," and "Fashion's Alternative Future" to be the most engaging, though each chapter is interesting and thought-provoking. I'd like it to have gone a bit more in-depth with regards to fatness & body positivity, as well as queer & trans approaches to fashion, but overall I enjoyed this!

[Helen Geng · Rating 2 out of 5]

All the psychology jargon didn’t make this an enjoyable read.

It’s not until the last chapter that the author offers some common sense tips.

Attractive jacketless HC with bound-in ribbon bookmark. The copy imprinted on the back cover is a little hard to read & may wear off with age.

[Luca Maffezzoli · Rating 3 out of 5]

attraverso la psicoanalisi lacaniana per capire i volti della moda

“Quando ci si imbatte nella moda, può essere difficile capire cos'è che ci colpisce davvero. È positiva, negativa, piacevole, spiacevole, o tutte queste cose insieme?” (p. 107)

[Kayla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some interesting tidbits but too Marxist and too much psychology jargon. Grose is a psychoanalyst and a member of the Centre for Freudian Research and she certainly makes it obvious. Everything has to tie back to Freud. 🙄

[Melody Maxwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting introduction to the history of fashion sociology, left me with a lot of material to read/watch now. Only reason it's not 5 starts is the last chapter, the manifesto itself, does almost say nothing, which whilst this seems intentional, is poorly constructed

[Gigra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this - she has a clear voice. But it's aiming to do a lot in a very short amount of pages.