Fashion, Popular Culture and Political Economy

This book delves into the intricate interplay of political, economic, and philosophic forces that have shaped popular culture, fashion, social movements and societies. Exploring the developments of the twentieth century and the transition into the new millennium, this work traces the causality between culture, fashion, philosophical discourses, and political economy. It analyzes political-economic and philosophical factors to demonstrate how fashion emerges as a pivotal force that guides and shapes post-modern democratic societies and market economies. The volume weaves together insights from sociology, cultural studies, feminist studies, fashion history, cinematography, media, the entertainment industry and social policy research. It examines how postmodern societies, shaped by post-structuralist critique and neo-liberal ideologies, navigates the complexities of democracy and market economies, evolving from deeply entrenched systems of colonialism and feudalism to achieve modernization and massive technological progress and reach a social reality of postmodernist paradigms. Topical and lucid, this invigorating work shows how fashion leads to social engineering. It will be of interest to scholars and researchers of fashion studies, popular culture, cultural studies, sociology, gender studies, political economy and political studies. This book also provides valuable perspectives for policymakers, film critics, women's rights groups, social policy researchers, film censor boards and journalists.

Nirupama Singh Dar is a sociologist who works in the areas of fashion, popular culture and feminism. She has done her post graduate studies, Doctorate and Post Doctoral research from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Being the first doctorate on fashion in India, she pioneered fashion research in India. She also studied Design at National institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi and has been designing collections for her brand Body Politic. Her design work has been chronicled by the Indian embassy in Paris in their magazine Nouvelle De L'Inde. Dr Dar is the director of Fashion Research Foundation. She consults on fashion and lectures on Sociology of Fashion and Popular Culture.

Introduction. 1. Foundations Of Popular Culture and Fashion in Capitalist Societies 2. Capitalism's Favourite Child 'Fashion' Theorized 3. Fashion's Blistering Ontologies: Establishment of The Fashion Industry in Paris in 1845 4. Popular Culture in India at The Turn of the 19th Century: India's Rise Against Anti-Dance Laws of The British Rule and The Birth of Dance Movement in India 5. Popular Culture in Early Twentieth Century: Ghadar Nationalists and Their Contribution to India' S Freedom (India 1874 Onwards) 6. Bloomsbury Bohemians of England and Their Philosophies of Decolonisation 1900-1940s 7. Beginning Of Global Feminist Movement and Its Iconization in The Gibson Girl and The New Woman 8. End Of First World War and The Rise of Popular Culture in The West: Coming of The Flapper- First Look Emerging from The Break Between Ancient Times and Modernity 9. Birth Of Modern Haute Couture. Rise Of Two Great Fashion Icons in Paris: Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli 10. Hollywood And Fashion: Rise of Fashion's Romantic Hero 'Christian Dior' 11. Manhattan Project, Atomic Bombings, End of Second World War and The Rise of Hate Politics and Its Effects on American Society and Hollywood 1940s Onwards 12. Literature And Philosophy Changing Societies: The Beat Generation and The Coming of Existentialism to Popular Culture in The Us - 1950s 13. Cold War Escalations, Charismatic Leadership of Martin Luther King and JFK And the Birth of The Hippy Movement (1940s - 1960s) 14. Introduction of Yves Saint Laurent to The Haute Couture Industry and The Democratisation of Fashion 15. The Arrival of Balenciaga, Balmain and Givenchy on The Fashion Scene and The Return of Coco Chanel to Paris 1950s 16. The Coming of Karl Lagerfeld, Courrgeous, Valentino, Mary Quant and Paco Rabanne on to The Fashion Scene Of 1960s 17. From Monique Wittig to Material Girl: The Rewriting of Feminist Epistemology 18. Establishment Of the Modelling Industry and The Rise of Playboy Politics: From Self Possession to Objectification 1970s Onwards 19. The Beginnings of Postmodernism: Unshackling of The Body by Punks and The Changing of the Social Gaze - 1980s 20. 1990s And the Rise of a New World: The Breakdown of Berlin Wall and Apartheid and The End of The Age of Supermodels 21. The Beginning of Liberalisation in India and The End of License Raj - 1990s 22. Bollywood: From Existential Angst to Postmodernism of Resistance 23. Postmodernist Culture and International Politics at The Turn of The Millennium - 2000s 24. Demystifying Love: Theoretical Underpinnings of Sexuality, Fashion and Popular Culture 25. Future Of Fashion: Howthe Coming Together of Two Women Changed the World Forever - 2010 Onwards 26. The Me Too Movement: The Coming of Feminism to Hollywood and The Corporate World - 2017-2023 27. The Disambiguation of Plato and The Repositioning of Medusa: Roadmap to The Future