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Torn: Fashion and Postmodernism
An exploration of fashion industry from it's creative history to the commerce focused postmodern era
Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, fashion has undergone a paradoxical it has grown creatively impoverished despite becoming more culturally relevant. Increasingly, the industry’s output feels listless, unexciting, like a pastiche of past styles, not genuine innovation. What caused this? How did fashion design get reduced to logoed merch? Why does spectacle outweigh reality? How did business priorities come to eclipse creativity? Eugene Rabkin — founder of StyleZeitgeist magazine and noted fashion journalist, lecturer, and critic whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Financial Times, and The Business of Fashion — offers an unflinching answer. Fashion and Postmodernism examines how the postmodern turn, with its dismantling of hierarchies and embracing of commerciality, its democratization of taste and reliance on irony and poptimism, has undermined fashion. Across ten incisive chapters, these pages trace the industry’s journey from an era that produced Alexander McQueen’s theatrical genius, Helmut Lang’s modernism, and Martin Margiela’s conceptual rigor to an era dominated by corporations and celebrities. Along the way, Rabkin shows how the image is decoupled from its substance, how commerce has overridden editorial authority, and how fashion’s relationship with the arts has shifted from symbiotic to parasitic.
Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, fashion has undergone a paradoxical it has grown creatively impoverished despite becoming more culturally relevant. Increasingly, the industry’s output feels listless, unexciting, like a pastiche of past styles, not genuine innovation. What caused this? How did fashion design get reduced to logoed merch? Why does spectacle outweigh reality? How did business priorities come to eclipse creativity? Eugene Rabkin — founder of StyleZeitgeist magazine and noted fashion journalist, lecturer, and critic whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Financial Times, and The Business of Fashion — offers an unflinching answer. Fashion and Postmodernism examines how the postmodern turn, with its dismantling of hierarchies and embracing of commerciality, its democratization of taste and reliance on irony and poptimism, has undermined fashion. Across ten incisive chapters, these pages trace the industry’s journey from an era that produced Alexander McQueen’s theatrical genius, Helmut Lang’s modernism, and Martin Margiela’s conceptual rigor to an era dominated by corporations and celebrities. Along the way, Rabkin shows how the image is decoupled from its substance, how commerce has overridden editorial authority, and how fashion’s relationship with the arts has shifted from symbiotic to parasitic.
- GenresFashionNonfiction
197 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 25, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 16, 2026
In Torn: Fashion and Postmodernism, Eugene Rabkin presents a sharp and thought-provoking examination of the fashion industry and the forces that have shaped its creative direction in the twenty-first century. At the heart of the book is a compelling paradox: fashion has become more culturally visible and influential, yet, in Rabkin’s view, much of its creative output has lost the originality and substance that once made it exciting.
One of the most interesting aspects of this work is its willingness to question an industry that often celebrates constant reinvention. Rabkin examines how fashion has increasingly relied on familiar styles, recognizable logos, celebrity influence, and spectacle, raising important questions about whether commercial success has come at the expense of genuine creative innovation. His discussion encourages readers to look beyond the image of fashion presented to the public and consider the business priorities and cultural attitudes shaping what reaches the runway and the marketplace.
The book’s exploration of postmodernism gives this critique a deeper intellectual foundation. Through ten chapters, Rabkin investigates the effects of dismantled hierarchies, democratized taste, irony, and poptimism on fashion’s creative identity. His comparisons with the work of Alexander McQueen, Helmut Lang, and Martin Margiela provide a historical point of reference for considering the difference between conceptual ambition and an industry increasingly driven by corporate interests and celebrity culture.
I also find the discussion of fashion’s relationship with the arts particularly compelling. The suggestion that this relationship has shifted from mutual inspiration toward commercial exploitation raises broader questions about the place of creativity in an industry where visibility and profitability can dominate the conversation. Rabkin’s background as a fashion journalist, critic, lecturer, and founder of StyleZeitgeist adds context to his perspective on these developments.
At 176 pages, Torn offers a focused critique that may appeal to fashion professionals, designers, students, cultural critics, and readers interested in the relationship between art, commerce, and contemporary culture. It is especially suited to those willing to question familiar industry narratives and examine what meaningful innovation looks like in an increasingly commercialized environment.
Overall, Torn: Fashion and Postmodernism is a provocative invitation to reconsider the direction of contemporary fashion. Whether readers agree with all of Rabkin’s conclusions or not, the questions he raises about originality, commercial influence, and the value of creative risk make this a relevant contribution to conversations about fashion’s cultural significance and artistic future.
One of the most interesting aspects of this work is its willingness to question an industry that often celebrates constant reinvention. Rabkin examines how fashion has increasingly relied on familiar styles, recognizable logos, celebrity influence, and spectacle, raising important questions about whether commercial success has come at the expense of genuine creative innovation. His discussion encourages readers to look beyond the image of fashion presented to the public and consider the business priorities and cultural attitudes shaping what reaches the runway and the marketplace.
The book’s exploration of postmodernism gives this critique a deeper intellectual foundation. Through ten chapters, Rabkin investigates the effects of dismantled hierarchies, democratized taste, irony, and poptimism on fashion’s creative identity. His comparisons with the work of Alexander McQueen, Helmut Lang, and Martin Margiela provide a historical point of reference for considering the difference between conceptual ambition and an industry increasingly driven by corporate interests and celebrity culture.
I also find the discussion of fashion’s relationship with the arts particularly compelling. The suggestion that this relationship has shifted from mutual inspiration toward commercial exploitation raises broader questions about the place of creativity in an industry where visibility and profitability can dominate the conversation. Rabkin’s background as a fashion journalist, critic, lecturer, and founder of StyleZeitgeist adds context to his perspective on these developments.
At 176 pages, Torn offers a focused critique that may appeal to fashion professionals, designers, students, cultural critics, and readers interested in the relationship between art, commerce, and contemporary culture. It is especially suited to those willing to question familiar industry narratives and examine what meaningful innovation looks like in an increasingly commercialized environment.
Overall, Torn: Fashion and Postmodernism is a provocative invitation to reconsider the direction of contemporary fashion. Whether readers agree with all of Rabkin’s conclusions or not, the questions he raises about originality, commercial influence, and the value of creative risk make this a relevant contribution to conversations about fashion’s cultural significance and artistic future.
September 4, 2026
an articulate account as to why fashion is no longer exciting, the most intriguing reason being the loss of the authority of the critic—brands themselves have become producers and patrons of culture dictating what is good; without defined standards and desires to meaningfully connect to history, there is nothing for fashion to do—to react against—but merely remix endlessly in celebrity-fueled fine-art-adjacent collaborations in the never-ending pursuit of newness
« In fashion’s postmodern period, the primary job of fashion companies’ marketing and PR departments is not just continuous creation of new signs but also destruction of the established relationships between the signifier and the signified, and their rebuilding in the service of commerce. »
« In fashion’s postmodern period, the primary job of fashion companies’ marketing and PR departments is not just continuous creation of new signs but also destruction of the established relationships between the signifier and the signified, and their rebuilding in the service of commerce. »
September 10, 2026
As a fan of Rabkin and StyleZeitgeist, I knew I would absolutely love this book the moment I pre-ordered it, and I’m glad to report that I was not wrong. This is a concise but all-encompassing account of everything that is wrong with the “fashion industry" today and how we got here. I usually disagree with the authors on some points, even when I thoroughly enjoy their book, but I have no notes for this one. The sarcastic tone, especially of the last chapter, is a great conclusion to this brilliant book. And the manifesto somehow makes complete sense to a pessimist like me, so who knows, maybe there is hope for us after all!
October 18, 2026
This book is superb in all respects. My only negative commentary is there were multiple typos and misspellings of proper nouns (Jeff Koonz, Cathy Horan) as well as some dates (Stephen Sprouse for LV debuted for spring 2001, not 2021). It gave the feeling of swift self publication rather than the impeccable research clearly on display.
Otherwise - I only wished it is longer because the subject and materials are so fascinating to me
Otherwise - I only wished it is longer because the subject and materials are so fascinating to me
September 3, 2026
Sehr interessant, mit sehr fashion-nerdigen Ausflügen und Abwandlungen von klassischem Marxismus und Frankfurter Schule.
September 17, 2026
Everything true, nothing new.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews