This bonus episode is an academic talk by host Zara Korutz focused on the dandy as the fashion innovator of street-style using style as agency. Dandy fashion connects to authenticity as a creative expression and position within society. In this talk, I explore the notion of fashion capitals, the style of the dandy, social meaning behind the fashion, and black dandies with roots in Africa and the Caribbean.
Dandyism's historical roots creates a myth of authenticated personal identification. The word “myth” is not an untruth but rather a complicated system that theorist Roland Barthes describes as a form of communication.
If you geek out over fashion theory, then this talk is for you… Please engage with your thoughts afterwards on social media or with a personal voice note.
References:
Barthes, R (1957) Mythologies
Breward, C. (2016) The Suit. London: Reaktion Books.
Croll, J. (2015) Fashion that Changed the World. London: Prestel.
Lewis, S.P. (2017) Dandy Lion. First edition. New York, N.Y: Aperture.
Meinhold, R. and Irons, J. (2014) Fashion Myths. Bielefeld: Transcript Verlag.
Musgrave, E. (2019) Sharp Suits. GB: Pavilion.
Rocamora, A and O’Neill, A (2008) ‘Fashioning the Street: Images of the Street in the Fashion
Simmel, G. (1905) “Fashion” International Quarterly, 1,22, pp. 130-155
Woodward, S (2009) ‘The Myth of Street Style’, Fashion Theory, 13, 1: 83 – 102
Cover Art Photo of Dandy Wellington By Julia Bahlsen
