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Drawing on the experiential advantage, three studies were conducted with online clothing rental service users and potential consumers to assess how material and experiential framing impact consumer happiness and word of mouth (WOM) intentions, moderated by consumer materialism, across different consumption (i.e., buying and renting fashion products) and product types (i.e., renting instrumental vs. terminal products). The findings indicate that material framing enhances consumer perceptions of rented fashion products as reflective of their self-identity and increases product-self connections, thereby boosting happiness and WOM intentions. In contrast, experiential framing proves advantageous with instrumental products. This research expands our understanding of the boundary conditions and psychological processes of material vs. experiential framing and provides practical guidance for access-based fashion businesses to effectively communicate and present their services, aiming to achieve positive customer buzz and recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fashion knockoffs, which refer to the copycat behaviours of some brands in fashion apparel, are widely seen. It is commonly believed that the presence of fashion knockoffs harms the original-designer-label (ODL) product seller. Motivated by the industrial interviews and real-world observations, we build game-theoretical models to examine the impacts of fashion knockoffs on the ODL product supply chain and its agents with the consideration of risk attitudes. Explicitly, in the basic model, we consider a common manufacturer producing for both a knockoff product seller and a risk sensitive ODL product seller. The ODL product seller and the knockoff product seller make pricing decisions to optimise their own profits. We interestingly find that the presence of fashion knockoffs benefits the ODL product supply chain and its agents when (i) the ODL product seller is risk averse and the ratio of demand uncertainty is relatively small or (ii) the ODL product seller is risk seeking and the ratio of demand uncertainty is sufficiently large. The findings indicate that a risk averse (seeking) ODL product seller is more prone to benefit from the presence of fashion knockoffs when selling fashionable (classic) products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing rise of liquid consumption manifests in the growing popularity of ephemeral, access-based, and dematerialized forms of consumption that contrast with traditional solid forms of consumption characterized by possession and strong object relationships. The literature already presents a robust understanding of what makes liquid and solid consumption appealing to consumers. What has received less attention is the co-existence of liquid and solid consumption in consumers' lived experiences. Furthermore, the literature does not explain how the balance that consumers achieve between liquid and solid consumption fluctuates over time. This study illuminates the co-existence of liquid and solid consumption through a phenomenological inquiry of subscription-based clothing libraries, a context where solid personal possessions frequently mix with liquid accessed items in everyday use. Findings show that changes in consumer desire play a major role in consumer decisions to liquify or solidify consumption, especially over time. Overall, the study provides new theoretical insights into liquid and solid consumption, consumer desire, and burdens of access-based consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The erosion of high-end fashion brands by fast-fashion copycats (e.g., Zara, H&M) has stirred controversies and unceasing legal attempts to copyright fashion designs. Despite the purported negative impact of copycats, the effect of fashion copycats on high-end brands remains empirically unclear. Research on this topic has been impeded by the absence of a modeling framework to quantify fashion and by the lack of consumer-level data on fashion choices. The authors collect data on the posting behaviors of consumers on a fashion-specific social media platform and develop a dynamic structural model with deep learning image analytics to characterize consumers' choices of brands and styles. Results suggest that fast-fashion copycats can both harm high-end brands (a cannibalization effect) and help them (a market expansion effect). The authors also identify both static and dynamic mechanisms that contribute to the market expansion effect: The affordability of mixing copycats with high-end brands boosts the number of high-end items featured in posts by financially constrained consumers (a static mechanism). In addition, good styles from copycats enable users to build their popularity on social media over time, which may increase the users' valuation of high-end brands and reduce the users' future costs via sponsorship opportunities (dynamic mechanisms). The results could inform policy makers about the potential consequences of prohibiting fashion copycats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining trends in style and form with religious considerations, modest fashion has grown worldwide despite a series of intense controversies in Western countries from the mid-2010s. Building on the sociology of scandal, we identify three rhetorical strategies that structure nontarget majority consumers' responses to modest fashion, i.e. the place of religion in modern society, the defence of freedom, and the search for a harmonious society. Interestingly, the strategies of both the detractors and promoters of modest fashion appear to be built upon common values and norms, though at a collective vs. an individual level, respectively. This discursive dynamic allows the former to moralise their attack while neutralising the defence of the latter, thereby setting the public agenda, and leading to Muslims' marketplace exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws on an (auto)ethnographic study of a group of freelance fashion professionals, known as 'fashion agents', with a particular focus on their relationship to time. It aims to elucidate the temporalities that permeate their work lives and shape their subjectivities, which I coin as anticipatory subjectivities. Such subjectivities, I posit, are emblematic of the conditions of flexibilisation, precarity and hopeful investment in the future characteristic of contemporary cultural industries and, more broadly, late capitalist knowledge economies. I propose that agents' life-worlds are permeated by a promissory regime – i.e., living in anticipation of constantly deferred, adjourned and unsecured rewards. Such a regime produces subjectivities that are premised on a hopeful emotional investment in the future, coupled with a preparedness for, and a capacity to navigate, incalculable risks. Another feature of the 'timescapes' that agents have to negotiate is the simultaneity of multiple fluid, unstructured and often conflicting temporalities and tempos, which requires a particular kind of time-competence. Finally, the article also foregrounds the importance, in agents' temporal orientations, of kairos : the right, opportune moment. Such a moment is normally perceived as being just about to happen; yet, it cannot be orchestrated or precipitated. As a result, one of agents' key temporal experiences is that of waiting, which de-subjectivises them and inhibits their capacity to act. Together, these time-orientations – anticipation, managing multiple temporalities and a hopeful waiting for kairos – underpin and foster subjectivities and forms of affective labour that sustain the cultural industries; they are also emblematic of the temporal conditions of late capitalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventions that draw inspirations from non-Western culture to create new designs have been generalised and used as a design development method in contemporary fashion. However, discussions on appropriation in fashion become urgent when minority cultures are being exploited with an unintended image and commercialisation. This study analysed formative characteristics of four non-Korean brand collections that used hanbok as a motif and presented criteria for distinguishing cultural appropriation from borrowing. The results included the following three attributes: partial application of hanbok structure, use of hanbok's formative elements deprived of functional aspect, and juxtaposition of hanbok with other Asian dresses. We examined these findings as cultural appropriation or borrowing based on respect for the traditional dress and practical compensation for the community. Consequently, this study found partial to extensive cultural appropriation in reproducing hanbok elements superficially without sufficient narrative and in mixing hanbok with sartorial elements of other Asian cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes and advocates for applied STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education to solve a low interest and retention in STEM college majors among high school students, especially those from underserved backgrounds. Applied STEM emphasises the practical application of STEM concepts and principles to familiar subjects such as fashion and entrepreneurship to increase students' interest and their intention to pursue college careers in STEM fields. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of an experiential Applied STEM Camp developed in this study and attended by 120 high school students. A series of paired sample t-tests show that participants' knowledge, interest, and intentions to enrol in a STEM-related college major have increased after the camp. Analysis of participants' reflections on the camp experiences further supports the statistical results. The research findings are important for recruiting high school students to pursue applied STEM college careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought dramatic life changes to consumers. From the perspective of fashion shopping, this study aims to provide an understanding of how consumers have coped with the pandemic to maintain their physical and mental well-being. Design/methodology/approach: Utilizing an observational research method, this study extracted and analyzed text data from Twitter, focusing on fashion consumption-related tweets posted by consumers in May 2020. Content analysis was employed to reveal consumers' coping strategies during the pandemic. Findings: Through fashion shopping, consumers have employed various strategies to cope with the problems incurred during the pandemic as well as the associated emotional stress. Specifically, problem-focused strategies included both active coping and restraint coping. Emotion-focused strategies included positive reinterpretation, acceptance, mental disengagement and seeking social support. Originality/value: Theoretically, this study provides empirical evidence for the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) Inventory in the context of using fashion shopping as a venue to cope with a pandemic. Managerial implications are also provided for the fashion industry as well as human service providers to better prepare for future public health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to understand the sustainable consumption behavior based on psychological ownership and social influence theory. The study used SPSS using AMOS and PROCESS SPSS Macro to determine the overall fit of the measurement model and examining the hypotheses. The study tested the relationship among self-expressiveness (SE), environmental commitment (EC), psychological ownership (PO), social influence (SI), fashion consciousness (FC), and sustainable consumption behavior (SCB) in the context of apparel. The results show that an increase in self-expressiveness and environmental commitment enhances SCB. The results of the study confirmed the mediating role of the psychological ownership and social influence on SCB. Further, the role of fashion consciousness as a moderator was established between self-expressiveness and SCB via psychological ownership. However, fashion consciousness was not found to moderate the relationship between environmental commitment on SCB via social influence. Valuable contributions were made to the marketing literature by identifying the impact of self-expressiveness and environmental commitment on the SCB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research examines how a temporal dimension of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) fashion style—consistent (vs. variable) fashion—influences stakeholders' perceptions of CEO competence. Based on the temporal aspect of attribution theory, we hypothesize that stakeholders perceive those CEOs who are consistent in their clothing across various occasions as more competent than CEOs who do not portray consistency. We also consider CEO gender a key moderator of the link between fashion consistency and perceived competence. Based on gender stereotypes and relatively unclear rules about women's clothing within professional settings, we hypothesize that the enhancement of perceived competence from a consistent fashion style is mitigated for female CEOs. Furthermore, by applying a zero‐sum belief in time management to CEOs' clothing decisions, we hypothesize that perceived work engagement mediates the "gender" moderation. Three studies, including a survey and two scenario‐based experiments in which we manipulate fashion consistency and CEO gender, largely supported the hypotheses. The results emphasize the importance for CEOs to strategically manage visual cues, like fashion style, focusing on either their consistency or variability when interacting with stakeholders across different occasions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responding to the call for circular transition, the Dutch and French governments aspire to achieve a fully circular economy by developing a transitional agenda in various sectors, including fashion and construction. The two countries are among the top 10 waste generators in the European Union (EU), while the two sectors--fashion and construction--are the largest polluters in the EU. The aim of this study, and its main contribution, is to harmonize circular design principles, which vary by sector into common types, and identify the circular design principle that balances the sustainability dimensions the most. This responds to research gaps that merely describe these design principles applicable to different sectors but which are also silent on which achieves sustainability balance. Using multicriteria decision analysis, selected case studies of companies in the two sectors and countries were scored and ranked according to environmental, economic, and social sustainability indicators. The case projects were selected based on the circular design principle that the enterprises were applying. These principles were standardized for the two sectors to come up with five distinct types, namely, design for (i) biobased materials, (ii) service/adaptability, (iii) disassembly, (iv) waste and material recovery, and (v) longevity. Three forms of triangulation were used to achieve reliability, validity, and equivalence of the findings: (i) data--by doubling the size of the sample cases to 40 establishments from 20, (ii) investigator--by having the authors score the projects separately, and (iii) method--by using two objective weighting methods in scoring the criteria. These techniques resulted in similar rankings of the cases in terms of triple bottom-line scores per design principle. Designing for biobased materials turned out to achieve the most balance. The case projects were also compared regarding performance in achieving the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), which companies use to integrate sustainability with business. Circularity in fashion and construction primarily targets responsible consumption, production, and climate action. A tertiary SDG was life on water and access to clean water for fashion and life on land and sustainable cities for construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAuxetic materials are characterized by a negative Poisson’s ratio (NPR), which expands when stretched and shrinks when compressed. Due to the synclastic curvature of auxetics, they have good formability. These properties make them useful in applications requiring formability, such as composites, fashion and clothing, medical, protective, and sports fields. In this research, auxetic weft-knitted fabrics based on foldable structures were knitted. The effect of structural parameters including fabric pattern, yarn count, and loop length on the formability of auxetic weft-knitted fabrics was investigated and compared to plain weft-knitted fabric (Jersey). Auxetic fabrics with three distinct patterns and three different loop lengths were knitted using polyester yarns of varying three counts. Then, the formability experiment was conducted using the hemisphere mold, and the forming energy of fabric samples was obtained. The results demonstrated that auxetic fabrics exhibit superior formability to conventional (non-auxetic) fabrics, attributed to their synclastic curvature. Among the auxetic fabrics, those with larger zigzag angles, finer yarn counts, and larger loop lengths showed higher formability. These findings enhance the potential applications of auxetic fabrics in various industries such as medical and protective, emphasizing their ability to conform to complex shapes with minimal wrinkling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fibula appeared in the Levant during the late second millennium bce and gradually replaced the toggle pin as the common accessory to fasten clothing. In this contribution, we trace the dissemination of fibulae in the southern Levant, pinpointing its chronology, the development of local variants and significant locales of consumption. The analysis of site-specific case studies suggests that the fibula was worn first by elites of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah as part of a new fashion, and became popular among the members of the colonial society under the Assyrian empire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" reviews an exhibition at the Costume Institute, Metropolitan Museum of Art, focusing on conservation, embodiment, and preservation in fashion. The exhibition offers a sensorial experience through soundscapes, visual projections, and recreated smells, inviting visitors to engage with the garments in new ways. By showcasing fragile garments in a flat display, the exhibition prompts contemplation on the ephemeral nature of fashion and the role of conservation in preserving its materiality. The exhibition also explores themes of nature and cycles, presenting a complex and immersive journey through the natural world. [Extracted from the article]

Image denoising aims to restore a clean image from a noisy image. Traditional methods utilizing convolutional neural networks (CNN) for denoising are trained using pairs of noisy and clean images to comprehend the transformation from a noisy image to a clean one. However, the acquisition of such image pairs in real‐world scenarios presents a challenge. Hence, numerous self‐supervised denoising techniques have been developed that do not require clean images for training. This study demonstrates that a straightforward loss design, concentrating on variance, can effectively train a standard CNN denoiser in a self‐supervised fashion. A novel theoretical framework is introduced for training a basic CNN denoising model using three constraints: mean, variance, and augmentation. The variance constraint is crucial as it prevents the trained model from converging to trivial solutions such as identity or zero mapping. This theory provides valuable insights for the development of new self‐supervised denoising methods. Furthermore, a method that applies this theory to proposed dual networks is developed, which consist of two standard CNN models predicting both the clean image and the noise. This approach enhances model capacity during training while minimizing computational costs during inference. This method exemplifies the implementation of the variance constraint and introduces a data constraint for dual networks. Notably, the proposed method only assumes the presence of additive white noise, irrespective of the noise distribution. This minimal assumption enhances the model's robustness against noise with complex or unknown distributions in real‐world distorted images. Experimental results indicate that the proposed Noise2Variance method exhibits commendable performance on peak signal noise ratio and structural similarity metrics compared to existing self‐supervised denoising techniques. Visual comparison of results further substantiates the efficacy of the proposed method. A comparison of model complexity reveals that the method is efficient among the compared CNN‐based techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the exhibition "Sargent and Fashion" at Tate Britain, which explores John Singer Sargent's use of fashion in his portraits to express identity and personality. The exhibition showcases how Sargent manipulated dress to fashion his portraits across thematic sections, emphasizing his attention to detail in depicting garments. However, the article critiques the exhibition for focusing too much on contemporary fashion and not delving into the negotiations between Sargent and his sitters in styling their outfits. [Extracted from the article]

As technology and science expand from the palms of our hands into the sleeves of our shirts, the future of fashion textiles becomes almost unimaginable. The emerging technology related to the integration of the IoT and AI has resulted in intelligent clothing in the fashion retail industry. Intelligent clothing technology can be defined as a result of transformation of fabric into digital technology by bridging fashion and the IoT with newly developed material technologies. However, recent studies on intelligent clothing have been few and far between, and scholars have focused more on organizations' intention to adopt intelligent clothing technology rather than customers' intention to use it. The current research fills this gap by applying the Hedonic Information Systems Acceptance Model (HISAM) to determine the practical and aesthetic factors influencing consumers' propensity to use intelligent clothing. Furthermore, technology readiness has been investigated as a technology-related personality trait acting as a moderator in the research model. Accordingly, a quantitative survey strategy was undertaken and responses from a representative sample of 836 Sri Lankan retail consumers were analysed using Smart PLS-SEM. The results reveal that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment positively influence intention to use artificially intelligent clothing, whilst technology readiness interestingly moderates their impact on the intention to use AI clothing. The findings have theoretical and practical implications for marketing scholars and practitioners and point to several future research directions as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the level of acceptability of the developed learning modules in Introduction to Dressmaking and Sewing Machine Operations at Rizal Technological University during the school year 2023-2024. The researcher used the descriptive type of research with diagnostic test as the tool used in the identification of the least mastered topics in Introduction to Dressmaking and Sewing Machine Operations and a survey questionnaire as the main data gathering instrument. The questionnaire focused on the level of acceptability of the developed learning modules in Introduction to Dressmaking and Sewing Machine Operations in terms of objectives, content, visual design, and assessment. The least mastered topics that were used as basis for the development of the learning modules in Introduction to Dressmaking and Sewing Machine Operations was identified based on the results of the diagnostic test conducted by the researcher to the second year GFD Students of Rizal Technological University. The instructor and student respondents evaluated the developed learning modules in Introduction to Dressmaking and Sewing Machine Operations as to objectives, content, visual design, and assessment with grand weighted mean rating of 3.61, verbally interpreted as Very High Level (VHL) leading to no significant difference between the assessment of the two groups of respondents on the developed learning modules. The comments and suggestions offered by the respondents were for the improvement of the product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines Proust's fascination with the dress as a site of transmaterial and transhistorical transformation. Descriptions of the Fortuny gown evoke its ability to conjure the visual and tactile qualities of ancient sculpture, architecture, and textile arts. The pleats and folds of the Fortuny become a medium through which the novel explores the dialectic between liquid and frozen temporalities, as well as the interplay between gender, materiality, and the aesthetics of the classical. Drawing on Ruskin, Stokes, Deleuze and others, the essay traces how the Fortuny functions as a complex creative material that transmutes evanescent life into lasting aesthetic impression. It also considers how the dress's enveloping folds allegorise dynamics of captation and fugitivity within Proust's narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fashion is now seen as a form of identity associated with everyday life in human society. However, it did not originate as a term with this definition. Instead the concept has been polished through the course of history. The transition from clothing as political tool, to fashion as identity, in the Chinese context did not happen overnight. This study unpacks the complex transition that not only unfolded through vital periods and various iconic events in China, but also involved and impacted upon individuals in their daily lives. Drawing on historical records in clothing/costume museums in Beijing and Shanghai, the study investigates the shift from premodern clothing toward an understanding of modern Chinese identity and clothing. In particular, the article focuses on the multiple interpretations of hybrid dress in Shanghai during the transitional period from late Qing to Republican China. The research finds that the evolving of identity of fashion was embedded in the changing identity of wearers as well as other participants in the fashion chain, which are interlocked and mutually reinforced each other in this socio-political cultural environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the realm of traditional Korean fashion/textile practice, known as traditional nubi and Tongyeong nubi (t/T nubi), and re-engineers it from a contemporary fashion perspective within the framework of cultural sustainability. Drawing upon the systemic design approach, the project employed specific activities to trace, decode, and reconfigure t/T nubi following the phases of exploration, reframing, creation, and catalyzation, aiming for innovative design in the contemporary fashion space. The paper emphasizes a holistic and iterative process, based on learning the practice of t/T nubi from artisans, understanding and recontextualizing the future envisaged for t/T nubi, and delivering creative outcomes. Utilizing the interpretative model of cultural sustainability through craft, the study also analyzed the outcomes, identifying impacts such as rethinking craft culture, decoding craft roots, and influencing craft culture. Striking a balance between safeguarding the practice and fostering creativity was challenging; however, the approach serves as a valuable reference for designers and/or artisans of traditional craft practice, bridging their knowledge and design thinking process with the enduring sustainability of this heritage craft. It also demonstrates the potential for designers to leverage traditional craft practices to drive innovation in design, production, and business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fashion and Textile Museum in London recently held an exhibition called "The Biba Story, 1964–1975," which explored the impact of the iconic London boutique, Biba. The exhibition showcased the Art Deco-inspired style of Biba, with its gold and black logo, curvy framed cut-outs, and dusty purple wall color. Visitors to the exhibition shared personal connections and memories of Biba, making it a nostalgic experience. The exhibition traced the history of Biba, from its beginnings as a direct-to-consumer mail-order business to its brick-and-mortar stores and eventual closure due to financial difficulties. The exhibition featured clothing, textiles, makeup, and even food products associated with the Biba brand. It highlighted the accessibility and affordability of Biba's fashion, as well as its influence on the London fashion scene and its association with famous musicians, actors, and models. The exhibition successfully captured the ephemeral nature of Biba and celebrated its lasting impact on fashion and lifestyle brands. [Extracted from the article]

The exhibition Lee Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse (2022) reexamined the British fashion designer's oeuvre by contextualizing select Alexander McQueen designs within art history. Juxtaposing permanent collection works that spanned media, eras, and cultures with McQueen's fashions, curators explored the cyclical nature of inspiration against the backdrop of appropriation in art history. As evidenced in his powerful collections, McQueen's artistic process ranged from thoughtful research and examination to Eurocentric revisions that were both critical of and at times complicit in the legacies of colonialism. This analysis of McQueen's artistic intent and process initially sought to uncover new frameworks for understanding the designer; however, the thematic conversations between encyclopedic objects also yielded new and unexpected insights for the museum's non-dress and textile art collections. Investigating McQueen's fashion collections through a broader art-historical lens enabled significant and mutually beneficial dialogues between both dress and non-dress art historians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the exhibition "Fashion Forward: Disruption through Design" held at the Tūhura Otago Museum in Ōtepoti Dunedin, Aotearoa New Zealand from March 26 to October 17, 2021. The exhibition aimed to celebrate the iD Dunedin Fashion show and explore the connections between contemporary and historic fashion. It featured garments from emerging designers from around the world, as well as pieces from the museum's collection. The exhibition was organized into sections based on themes such as escapism, gender, illusion, reinterpretation, sculpture, transformation, and wellbeing. The goal was to reframe fashion and attract new and diverse audiences. The article also highlights the designers' concerns about sustainability and diversity in the fashion industry. [Extracted from the article]

The conservation field has recently experienced a significant paradigm shift called "peoples-based" conservation, which centers collaboration with communities for whom cultural heritage has meaning. This turn is so significant that it has the possibility of upending core preservation practices of dress museology, and yet, few dress studies professionals might be aware that this shift has even occurred, or that it has a name. This article describes the transformative move in conservation ethics towards peoples-based approaches and points to potential impacts this shift might have on the preservation of dress artifacts. One specific fashion museological practice—the prohibition against the wearing of historic dress—is explored as an example of how this shift towards peoples-based conservation approaches opens exciting opportunities for dress professionals, empowering them to consider how collaborative preservation and interpretive strategies might sustain and even enhance the meaning of the collection objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Little Black Dress: A Radical Fashion" is a book edited by Georgina Ripley that explores the history and significance of the iconic Little Black Dress (LBD). The book aims to disrupt the notion of the LBD as a static fashion classic and instead examines its complexity and power. Through seven essay-form chapters, the book delves into topics such as feminism, sustainability, postcolonialism, and postmodernism, offering a critical and academic perspective on the LBD. The book features contributions from multiple authors and includes illustrations and quotes from industry insiders. While the book provides a comprehensive exploration of the LBD, it lacks personal accounts from ordinary people who have a long-standing relationship with their LBDs. [Extracted from the article]

"Stalking Shakespeare: A Memoir of Madness, Murder and My Search for the Poet Beneath the Paint" by Lee Durkee is a book that explores the question of Shakespeare's identity through an investigation of his portraits. The author, a fiction writer, interviews curators and uses various scientific methods to examine the portraits. Durkee presents a range of Shakespeare portraits, some of which are identified as Shakespeare but may not be, and others that are not identified as Shakespeare but have been altered to resemble him. The book raises questions about Shakespeare's education, knowledge, and abilities, challenging the traditional narrative surrounding the authorship question. [Extracted from the article]

This study introduces a novel approach to architectural visualization using generative artificial intelligence (AI), particularly emphasizing text-to-image technology, to remarkably improve the visualization process right from the initial design phase within the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. By creating more than 10 000 images incorporating an architect's personal style and characteristics into a residential house model, the effectiveness of base AI models. Furthermore, various architectural styles were integrated to enhance the visualization process. This method involved additional training for styles with low similarity rates, which required extensive data preparation and their integration into the base AI model. Demonstrated to be effective across multiple scenarios, this technique markedly enhances the efficiency and speed of production of architectural visualization images. Highlighting the vast potential of AI in design visualization, our study emphasizes the technology's shift toward facilitating more user-centered and personalized design applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a notable similarity between the objectives of Architecture and Fashion Design. Both disciplines aim to protect and establish a sense of identity for their users. Similarly, analogous design strategies may be employed. One such strategy is the fold. The act of folding a surface results in the formation of a three-dimensional volume. The intrinsic two-dimensionality of the surface gives rise to the formation of space, which is characterised by three dimensions. The air that is trapped by the envelope provides the necessary space for the users. In the context of clothing, the enclosed space is relatively limited and personal. In contrast, in the field of Architecture, the space is of a larger scale and serves a collective purpose, accommodating a variety of activities. Consequently, the processes of designing a building or a piece of clothing are analogous, differing only in terms of scale, time, and materials. The employment of the fold as a point of departure for architectural and Fashion Design projects entails a comparable design process in which concepts such as continuity, superposition, and faceting are associated with this folded mechanism. Consequently, the resulting outcomes, particularly those pertaining to mass and aesthetic perception, exhibit notable similarities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of our research was to examine how dress and textile collections or museums have explicitly and implicitly conveyed solidarity with social-justice efforts. This includes how institutions have made antidiscrimination part of their guiding principles, as well as how these ideologies may have materialized in exhibitions. Using content analysis, we analyzed mission statements, diversity statements, and exhibition titles and descriptions of 134 North American dress and textile museums or collections. We identified five themes in the mission statements: preserving knowledge, education, spectrum of social-justice related language, oppressive language, and other commitments. We found that about half of the museums or collections had diversity statements and most created solidarity statements against racism on social media. A little less than half of the institutions explicitly incorporated social justice within exhibition titles and descriptions. Positive steps were made among these institutions to combat discrimination, but there is work still to be done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fashion style is expressed through the way clothing and accessories are put together, as well as the silhouettes, textiles, colors, and shape details of each fashion item. The challenge of style classification lies in the wide visual variation within the same style and the existence of visually similar styles. Fashion experts categorize fashion styles not only by global appearance but also by the attributes of individual items and their combinations. We propose an item-region-based fashion style classification network (IRSN) that effectively classifies fashion styles by analyzing item-level features and their combinations. IRSN extracts item features using item region pooling (IRP), analyzes them separately, and aggregates them using gated feature fusion (GFF). In addition, IRSN applies a dual-backbone architecture that combines a domain-specific feature extractor and a general feature extractor pretrained with a large general image-text dataset. In the experiment, we evaluated IRSN variants based on six widely used backbones, including EfficientNet, ConvNeXt, and SwinTransformer. The IRSN models outperformed their baseline models by an average of 8.9% and a maximum of 16.7% on the FashionStyle14 dataset, and by an average of 9.4% and a maximum of 17.0% on the ShowniqV3 dataset. The visualization results support that the IRSN models are more effective than the baseline models in capturing differences between similar style classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an interview conducted by the author with Anwesh Sahoo who is a visual designer, technical and non-fungible token (NFT) artist, the first Indian recipient of the Troy Perry Medal of Pride for compassionate activism, the youngest winner of Mr Gay World India and the creator of The Effeminare. Through their conversation, the article touches upon a range of aspects of queer fashion, including cyber fashion, digital drag, representation of masculinity and femininity, and its varied significances within the cultural context of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly many studies have provided practical suggestions for fashion YouTubers as fashion information sources, but no research has yet investigated the resources exchanged in the relationships between fashion YouTubers and viewers. Based on interviews with three Korean fashion YouTubers and ten of their viewers, this study examined social support in their relationships. Viewers acquired information from fashion YouTubers and, therefore, experienced informational support. Subsequently, as a sense of belonging to fandom emerged, established mainly by viewers subscribing to a fashion YouTube channel, network support was experienced by both fashion YouTubers and viewers. Along with constant communication, they shared their values and experienced emotional support through mutual empathy. Therefore, this study verified previous theories according to which both informational and emotional exchanges are possible in online relationships. Furthermore, network support was an important process, which may be connected to emotional support, since these relationships were autonomously established by online users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to create their social identity, humans have a tendency to express their feelings and self in the form of views and opinions that they expect from their immediate society. In today's tech-savvy world, social media has become the most important platform for expressing one's feelings, experiences and creating self-identity. Subcultures based on these online identities have a direct or indirect effect on fashion, subculture, intercommunity (individuals within the subculture community) and intracommunity (individuals outside the subculture community) individuals. The rise in popularity of social media platforms has led to the recreation of such subculture communities as an online trend. The current article talks about the relation between fashion, social media and these online identities. Multiple identities that are shaped and expressed through fashion and style are created and enacted through social media. Multiple case studies were analysed for qualitative secondary research to understand the effects of recreation of multiple online subcultures, which was filtered down to the Cottagecore, E-girls and Dark Academia subcultures while keeping in mind the relevance on social media and availability of resources. These were taken as interviews from articles and blogs as secondary research pertaining to each subculture. The objective of the article is to understand the effects of recreation of online subcultures on the particular subcultures, its intercommunity, intracommunity individuals, as well as the fashion industry. Mixing and recreation of subcultures create different styles and aesthetics; thus, fashion keeps changing according to that, and trends keep coming up in the fashion industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fashion industry's heightened focus on sustainable production has enhanced the emergence of varied eco-conscious procedures such as re-upcycling. Nonetheless, the multiple steps required for such procedures often lead to more expensive products, consequently lowering consumers' motivation to purchase such products. Do-it-yourself (DIY) fashion videos can motivate individuals to try DIY fashion, while promoting sustainable production and consumption of clothing. This study tested if DIY fashion videos could be used to change the perception among Thai youth on the DIY sustainable fashion. An Instagram profile named 'Broke Vogue' was created and it shared a variety of DIY fashion-related contents and activities. The page gained 300 followers during the six weeks it was active. The profile also invited participants to take a survey to evaluate their attitudes towards DIY fashion. This served as the data source of this study. The majority of participants in the survey were university students (N = 102, 73.5 per cent women). The results confirmed that participants developed a positive opinion concerning DIY fashion after visiting the page. However, it also strengthened some negative stereotypes as participants were more confident that DIY fashion was not appropriate for senior citizens or citizens with financial issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indonesian textile industry grew by 15.35 per cent in 2019, whereas previously, it had only seen a growth of around 8.73 per cent. As a result, it occurred to the textile and apparel manufacturers that they needed to enlarge their business lines swiftly. Naisha Hijrah, a designer, producer and textile retailer, sells clothes based on Islamic styles with a post-modernist concept. This study elaborates on how Naisha Hijrah has met its customers' needs. It also analyses why Naisha Hijrah could become the leading producer and retailer. Naisha Hijrah initially captured the Arabian clothes. This research shows that Naisha's products have attributes that include crease-free fabric, strong seams, unnoticed fabric fibres, cut patterns, delicate stitching and a design that permits the wearer to perform their ablutions without removing the garment. On the other hand, the technical qualities include many of Naisha's prioritized fabrics, such as Balotelli and Toyobo, accompanied by zippers designs. Therefore, Naisha develops its product that focuses on technical attributes that Indonesian women prioritize to fulfil their future desires. Finally, this study suggests that Naisha's robes should combine several kinds of materials in each garment, improve the tailors' skills, ensure no defects in its production and continuously push the workers to make firmer and smoother stitches. Therefore, Naisha Hijrah should increase sales because it sells what Indonesian women need and love. All this implies that it could be the leading retailer of Islamic fashion items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The JW Anderson patchwork cardigan from the spring/summer 2020 menswear collection has become an iconic fashion item during the COVID-19 pandemic. Worn by Harry Styles, the cardigan inspired a worldwide TikTok trend of crafting and DIY-ing a replica at home with over 90 million views to date. In response, JW Anderson published the pattern online and the V&A museum acquired the knitwear for its permanent collection. One year later, Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley was pictured knitting in the stands at the 2020 Olympic games – a craft he had picked up during the lockdowns. Both instances are challenging the notion of knitting and needlework as a feminine craft. In the past, men who embroidered, knitted or sewed their clothes were designated as infantile, effeminate and deviant from the hetero masculine norm. In today's post-pandemic climate, these associations are being challenged. Taking the cardigan and the resurgence of needlework as a case study, this article investigates the ways the COVID-19 pandemic influenced contemporary fashion consumption and re-stitched the meaning of male knitting. Focusing on the transformative aspects of slow fashion and gender fluidity in contemporary society, this article draws on a theoretical framework deriving from queer theory and sustainable fashion. Coined by Kate Fletcher, slow fashion encompasses a recalibration towards a focus on high-quality items over quantity and a slower production that does not exploit natural and human resources. Judith Butler's notion of gender performativity exposes gender as a social construct produced and maintained by a stylized repetition of acts, such as commonplace speech or nonverbal communication. Analysing the resurgence of male needlework through this critical lens, this article argues that it is the result of seismographic shifts within the contemporary fashion and popular culture that have been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Disrupting the fashion industry profoundly on a global scale, this article discusses how the pandemic can be seen as a catalyst for fashion in renegotiating masculinities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the exhibition "Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto" held at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The exhibition focused solely on pieces designed by Gabrielle Chanel herself and showcased over 100 garments. It explored Chanel's innovative designs, including her use of sportswear and menswear influences, as well as her collaborations with other artists and her impact on fashion. The exhibition also acknowledged Chanel's controversial interactions with anti-Semites and the Nazis during the occupation of Paris. Overall, the exhibition provided a comprehensive testament to Gabrielle Chanel's work and influence in the fashion industry. [Extracted from the article]

In the 1960s and 1970s, many women’s magazines had special sections for home dressmaking. At a time when ready-to-wear clothing was expensive, the sew-it-yourself pages had an important function to win over competition among female readers. Teenagers read the magazines in search of clothing designs to copy in order to dress according to the latest fashion. Despite the importance of such special sections, they have only been given a marginal place in the history of the popular press and in cultural studies. This article examines and discusses the role of dressmaking sections in women’s magazines in Sweden in the 1960s and 1970s. Based on analysis of the two largest Swedish women’s weeklies and interviews with readers and editors, the study highlights women’s ‘utilitarian reading’, which combines textual, visual, and material literacy, and thus contributes to an overlooked area within women's studies, fashion and media history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Fashion City exhibition at the London Museum Docklands, which explores the influence of Jewish fashion makers on global style. The exhibition is divided into two sections, representing the East End and the West End of London. The immersive experience includes displays of fashion objects, photographs, documents, oral histories, and videos. The exhibition highlights the history of migration, the garment industry, and the individuals behind each garment. It aims to contribute to the call for slow fashion by emphasizing the people involved in the production of clothing. [Extracted from the article]

Creativity and performance, as well as esthetical, artistic, psychological and marketing knowledge define the world of high-class design in the footwear industry. Beauty captured in the design of footwear and leather goods, personal design or computerized graphics are defining elements that bring high quality modernism through balance, harmony, clarity and order. In recent years, the leather industry has changed a lot, from low-cost mass production to serving customers consisting of small retail chains, where orders are small and models are varied. In order to cope with these changes, the footwear industry started investing in technological solutions. However, even today, due to the limited capacity of design software, designers frequently resort to traditional methods and techniques, often making use of their manual craftsmanship to design and make footwear components. The new technologies and the increasing involvement of the “fashion customer” lead to the emergence of new architectures in the esthetic and emotional expression of the wearer. Therefore, the article studies and analyzes the design-technology-image relationship as a scientific tool for generating ideas that define the personality of a highclass product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]