Mediations in Fashion

Abstract

This paper deals with the relations between the sociality of cultural economies and the cultural objects traded in them. It argues that the study of cultural economies must work up new methodologies that can account for both. The paper suggests the concept of the 'mediator' as a way of highlighting how cultural objects and sociality are co-constituted. The 'mediator' is formulated as a methodological tool for by-passing the academic divide between culturalaesthetic objects and their social contexts.

‘Scatter my ashes at Saks Fifth Avenue’: Boundary work and intermediation in the fashion landscape

“…Still, little has been said about the place-based and affective techniques through which intermediaries accomplish boundary work. Indeed, the role that place plays in shaping the work of cultural intermediaries is often missing from these literatures (Sommerlund, 2008), representing what Maguire and Matthews (2012: 553) have elsewhere described as a failure to ‘put context (back) into considerations of cultural intermediaries’. In what follows, I offer a closer look at how retail places are constructed and the ways in which these constructions intersect with social boundaries to inform the work of cultural intermediaries in fashion.…”

“…With only ‘eight seconds to really capture somebody’, it was important that these design elements and in-store details changed regularly, with updated mannequin looks, new product folds and fresh colour options rotating around the store. My own observations suggest that the arrangement of products played an important part in shaping the luxury experience and in ‘mediating’ interactions between stylists and their clients (Sommerlund, 2008). Entry-level luxury retailers, for example, placed an emphasis on touch or, as one merchandiser explained, the products’ ‘feel-appeal’.…”

“…In luxury fashion, stylists likewise position goods for their clients (Clarke, 2020;Lynge-Jorlén, 2020), stoking desire as they select garments and assist others in putting together outfits or deciding between purchases. Visual merchandisers, meanwhile, help to curate the dimensions of place itself, 'mediating' interactions between products, purchasers and stylists on the sales floor (Sommerlund, 2008). They do this in ways that speak to fashion's exclusivity and that reinforce its symbolic and aesthetic value (Cervellon and Coudriet, 2013;Lonergan et al, 2018).…”

“…This includes the selection of furniture and in-store fixtures, as well as the arrangement of distinct boutiques and shopping zones. The design of these shopping zones provides a unique social context for interaction (Sommerlund, 2008), and status display. Within each, status is performed for others to see (Potvin, 2013).…”

In-and-Out: How Fashion Journalists Write About Black NBA Dandies

“…Mediation represents one tool that the fashion journalist uses to generate symbolic value for the fashion industry so that the intentions of the auteurs are clearly articulated (Sommerland, 2008;Crane & Bovone, 2006).…”