by helene.goedl - 1. März 2025

28 | Digital Fashion – The Societal Role of Clothing Throughout History

Throughout history, clothing has played a pivotal role in shaping society, reflecting cultural values, social hierarchies, and technological advancements. This blog entry explores some of the most significant developments in the societal role of clothing, highlighting how garments have evolved from mere protective coverings to powerful symbols of identity, status, and cultural expression.

Clothing has developed from a necessity to a social signifier. In its earliest form, clothing served primarily as protection against the elements. However, as human societies developed, so did the functions of clothing. One of the most important shifts was the emergence of clothing as a social signifier. During the long eighteenth century, for instance, textiles became crucial in defining gender, rank, and race in the context of British imperial expansion¹. The emphasis on whiteness in both skin and cloth symbolised social status and racial hierarchy, with pristine garments representing social „whiteness“¹.

This period saw the rise of opulent societal lifestyles among the elite, characterised by events such as masquerade balls, which further reinforced social hierarchies and the imperial ethos of race¹. The maintenance of these pristine garments, largely performed by low-ranked and racialised women, underscored the intersectionality of class, race, and gender in clothing’s societal role¹.

Garments have also shaped our cultural identity in the form of traditional garments. As societies became more complex, traditional clothing emerged as a powerful reflection of cultural identity. Garments like the Japanese kimono, Indian sari, and Jordanian thobe came to embody the history, values, and craftsmanship of their respective communities². These traditional clothes were not just aesthetic choices but served as visual representations of cultural heritage and social identity. The significance of traditional attire extends beyond mere appearance. These garments are often influenced by environmental conditions, historical events, and societal practices². For instance, in Kenya, self-adornment plays a crucial role in ensuring the continuity of political, socio-cultural, and ethno-moral principles of communities³. Whether through permanent marks like tattoos or temporary decorations like makeup and clothing, adornment serves as a way of signalling an individual’s place in society, marking special moments, or celebrating life transitions³. Similar uses of fashion are documented in cultures across the world.

Fashion could also be used as a tool of oppression as well as liberation. The relationship between fashion and societal power structures, particularly in the context of gender, has been a significant aspect of clothing’s role throughout history. Fashion has often been considered a mechanism of oppression, with restrictive garments physically and metaphorically constraining women to fit into narrow, idealised standards of beauty dictated by patriarchal societies⁴. However, the feminist movement has actively challenged and rejected these restrictive garments, defying norms and advocating for women’s autonomy in clothing choices⁴. This shift represents a crucial development in the societal role of clothing, transforming it from a tool of oppression to a means of empowerment and self-expression.

In modern times, the advent of globalisation has had a profound impact on the role of clothing in society. While traditional garments continue to hold cultural significance, they are increasingly influenced by modern fashion trends². This intersection of tradition and modernity has led to new forms of cultural expression through clothing, often blending elements from different cultures. Moreover, the rise of fast fashion and mass production has democratised access to trendy clothing but has also raised concerns about sustainability and ethical production practices. In response, there has been a growing interest in sustainable and circular fashion, with initiatives like recycling clothing waste gaining traction⁵.

A fascinating recent development in our understanding of clothing’s societal role is its impact on the human microbiome, particularly that of the skin. Despite our long history with clothing, little was known about this interaction until recently⁶. Research in this area has opened up new perspectives on the relationship between clothing and human health, potentially influencing future textile development and hygiene practices.

The societal role of clothing has undergone significant transformations throughout history. From its origins as basic protection to its current status as a complex system of cultural signifiers, fashion trends, and even microbial ecosystems, clothing continues to evolve alongside human society. As we move forward, the challenge lies in balancing the cultural significance of traditional garments with the demands of modern life and sustainability concerns.

The study of clothing’s role in society offers valuable insights into human culture, social structures, and technological progress. As we continue to explore this rich field, we gain a deeper understanding of how something as seemingly simple as the clothes we wear can profoundly shape our interactions, identities, and the very fabric of our societies. The short cross-section of these developments of course have implications for the extended and transformed societal roles digital fashion might take on in the future.

¹Lemire, “Empire and the Fashioning of Whiteness: Im/Material Culture in the British Atlantic World, C. 1660–1820.”
²Shurman and Qaqish, “Traditional Clothes Around the World: A Cultural Reflection.
³ Nyambura, “Celebrating Adornment in Kenya’s Diverse Cultures.”
⁴ Jamal and Mohammed, “Fashion and Feminism: A Theoretical and Historical Background.”
⁵ Hamdan, “A Survey of the Role of Charity Societies in Recycling Clothing Waste and the Extent of Their Societal Impact in Saudi Arabia.”
⁶Sanders, Grunden, and Dunn, “A Review of Clothing Microbiology: The History of Clothing and the Role of Microbes in Textiles.”

Sources:

Hamdan, Najla Ibrahim Bin. “A Survey of the Role of Charity Societies in Recycling Clothing Waste and the Extent of Their Societal Impact in Saudi Arabia.” Sustainability 15, no. 14 (July 21, 2023): 11380. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411380.

Jamal, Fatima Salah, and Awfa Hussein Mohammed. “Fashion and Feminism: A Theoretical and Historical Background.” Journal of Tikrit University for Humanities 30, no. 12, 2 (December 30, 2023): 90–114. https://doi.org/10.25130/jtuh.30.12.2.2023.14.

Lemire, Beverly. “Empire and the Fashioning of Whiteness: Im/Material Culture in the British Atlantic World, C. 1660–1820.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary History 55, no. 1 (January 1, 2024): 57–87. https://doi.org/10.1162/jinh_a_02032.

Nyambura, Ruth, Tom Nyamache and Peter Ndirangu Waweru. “Celebrating Adornment in Kenya’s Diverse Cultures.” (2013).

Sanders, Deaja, Amy Grunden, and Robert R. Dunn. “A Review of Clothing Microbiology: The History of Clothing and the Role of Microbes in Textiles.” Biology Letters 17, no. 1 (January 1, 2021). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2020.0700.

Shurman, Ali, and Raed Qaqish. “Traditional Clothes Around the World: A Cultural Reflection.” IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science 29, no. 12 (December 1, 2024): 01–04. https://doi.org/10.9790/0837-2912020104.

by lea.haas - 25. Februar 202526. Februar 2025

Road to M. A. 7: A look into the Evolution of Womens Anger

Women’s fury is a power—one that has been historically constructed as destabilizing and threatening. It is depicted as a menace to safe homes and peaceful communities, something to be controlled within its capacity to keep the social order. The stereotypes of women’s rage are everywhere: the shrieking wife, the crazy girlfriend, the feminazi, the angry black woman. These are hasty, derisive nicknames to reach for when a woman’s fury threatens the status quo.
But despite the conditioning and warnings, there have always been women who will have not been silenced and will not be silenced, who appropriate their anger as a revolutionary act of resistance to repression/oppression. For these women, rage is not something to be ashamed of and suppressed, but an act of defiance against injustice. There are i women throughout history who will not take the advice to „let it go.“

The Fear of the Angry Woman
„It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and ill-tempered woman,“ is a passage from the Old Testament book of Proverbs. It is an attitude which reflects an old and age-long conviction: a man would rather be alone than face a woman bold enough to express displeasure. What the implication definitely implies is—a woman who airs her anger and discomfort is to be avoided, not one who should to be listened to.

This is ironic because studies over and over again establish that women are signaling heightened anger, and that they feel it more deeply compared to men. Women’s anger grounds in condescension, neglect, and rejection, yet both current and historical reactions to these anger-producing situations overlook the validity of such feelings. Proverbs never instructs men to alter their behavior in response to avoiding the wrath of females; it simply advises them to run from it. This sentiment has endured through centuries and cultures, ensuring that women’s wrath is reviled, not respected.

One of the first women to fully embrace her rage was 16th-century writer Jane Anger. Her 1589 brochure „Protection for Women“ was an unapologetic, unrestrained conviction of male ignorance and misogyny. She wrote not to persuade men to change, but to speak the unspeakable: Express the righteous anger.
Jane herself acknowledged the revolutionary nature of her work by asserting, „It was ANGER that did write it.“ Her pamphlet wasn’t tempered, with the conciliatory tone one would have expected from a woman then. Instead, she publicly judged men for their hypocrisy, lust, and arrogance:
„Fie on the lie of men, whose heads run oft amad and whose lips cannot so quickly be loosened but forth they fall a-railing. Was there ever any so wronged, so slandered, so railed on, or so foully dealt with undeservedly, as are we women?„
Whether Jane Anger was her real name or a pseudonym is in question, but her impact is undeniable.

The Rise of the „Angry Feminist„
Flash-forward to the mid-20th century, and women’s outrage found new power in second-wave feminism. This was a time when outrage was not merely tolerated but cultivated as a method for deconstructing the patriarchy. „I have cherished and guarded my feminist rage like a beloved daughter“ feminist critic Jane Marcus once described. She summarized the manner in which rage was both weapon and armor for feminists of the time.

This anger was articulated in such pieces as Valerie Solanas‘ „SCUM Manifesto“ (1968) and Martha Rosler’s performance work „Semiotics of the Kitchen“ (1975). Rosler’s six-minute film was an explicit articulation of anger, with her wielding kitchen implements as weapons and rearranging a traditionally feminine space into one of open defiance. Solanas work, however, took anger to an extreme, not only in her manifesto (where she called for the murder of men) but in her very attempt to murder Andy Warhol.
Neither Solanas nor Rosler allowed for the patronizing reassurances that often neutralized female rage. No one could watch „Semiotics of the Kitchen“ or read „SCUM“ and say, “You’re beautiful when you’re angry.” Their anger was not meant to be aesthetically pleasing or softened for male consumption. It was meant to disrupt and shock.

The Limits of Feminist Anger
Second-wave feminism was not without its limits. As white women rejoiced in being able to speak loudly in anger, they consistently muted women of color. Black women had to suppress their outrage for the sake of solidarity, a contradiction to the patriarchal requirement that women should act compliant and respectful.
„White people have colonized Black Americans,“ Bell Hooks wrote. „Part of that process of colonization has been teaching us to contain our anger, never to make them the focus of any anger we may feel about racism.“ White feminists utilized their rage against patriarchy but were oblivious to the fact that they themselves were accomplices to silencing others.

Anger in the Digital Age
Women’s rage today keeps evolving, especially with the digital age. The internet has allowed collective rage to be voiced in the form of movements like #MeToo and SlutWalk, proving that rage can be a unifying force. Yet, modern feminism still deals with the issue of inclusion and whether all rage is created equally. The public perception of a young, white woman’s rage still varies from that of a Black woman’s or a trans woman’s.
But female anger is still something to be feared. In literature, cinema, and politics, enraged women haunt the cultural imagination. Writers like Elena Ferrante stage women bubbling with rage, artists like Pussy Riot and Guerrilla Girls make rage performative, and trending social movements exist on collective outrage.
History reminds us that women’s anger is respected and feared. It is a tool of rebellion, an emblem of resistance, and, above all, a refusal to be silenced. Women’s angry history is still being written—and it has a long, long way to go.

*This text was proofread for punctuation and spelling errors with the help of DeepL, ChatGPT 4o and Grammarly.
*This text is based on literature & topic recommendations from ChatGPT 4o and Gemini Pro 2.0. All content was verified by me for accuracy and relevance, and the text itself was created by me.

Literature:
Archer Magazine: Femme Rage, Hysteria, and Catharsis (https://archermagazine.com.au/2024/07/femme-rage-hysteria-catharsis-good-for-her/)

Frieze: Functions of Female Rage
(https://www.frieze.com/article/functions-female-rage)

Vice: The History of Female Anger
(https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-history-of-female-anger/)

by helene.goedl - 25. Februar 2024

10 | Invisible Bodies – an Idiosyncratic Design Choice in Digital Fashion Design

Exploring the many creations under the keywords “Digital Fashion” currently presented on the internet, one quickly finds a common and peculiar reoccurring phenomenon. Virtual clothings flows through digital space, draping, behaving and moving in a way that suggests the presence of a body underneath the clothing. But there is no body depicted in the renderings. The world of digital fashion, it seems, is on its way to becoming a world without bodies. This has both interesting implications for the future, but also prompts examinations of the past of fashion design. The invisible walk cycles of digital fashion unintentionally provoke a discussion of one of fashion history’s most interesting tensions – the clothed body.

Bodies are a subject which has naturally been present throughout the history of fashion. Over the course of its evolution, the fashion industry has treated and impacted bodies in a multitude of ways. There have been phases of fashion history in which the body was the leading force, fashion designers aimed to flatter the body, respect its qualities and varieties and find a way to make garments that interplay with the body. The body was a part of the fashion system which could not be ignored or neglected. Similarly, fashion has also gone through phases of extreme body negation, attempting to fight against the natural qualities of the human body, forcing it into unnatural shapes. Especially in women’s fashion, the relation between garment and body has been a constant point of contention which in recent times, has arguably reached its peak. Despite the modern movements for body acceptance and inclusivity, fashion remains a space in which bodies are a constant source of conflict.

It seems ironic, therefore, that in digital fashion, the body appears to lose its significance altogether. Garments can float through digital space without physical limitations. On one hand, this could be viewed as a bizarre but logical consequence of current efforts towards inclusivity and diversity. If the body is invisible, there is no need to worry about skin colour, size, age and physical condition. The body becomes merely a suggestion of form, a sort of draping guide for digital garments that escapes all the pitfalls that depicting a true to life figure would bring with it.

On the other hand, this complete negation of the body suggests that in fashion, no semblance of a real physical body is “good enough” to do justice to the garment. The body is an obsolete instrument of fashion, a tool that the modern fashion aesthetic has finally managed to evolve away from. Either way of viewing this development towards invisible bodies in digital fashion brings with it a myriad of questions and discussion points that could be elaborated on in their own essays. Further developments of this trend will show if it is here to stay, or if visible bodies, no matter in which shape will make a return to digital fashion in the end.

04 | Tracing the History of Digital Fashion

Although digital fashion design has been around for years, there are still many aspects of this new design discipline that are difficult to trace and define. One of these aspects it the history and origin of digital fashion as an independent category. This blogpost therefore, will present several potential origin points of the discipline and discuss challenges and opportunities for further writing on this facet of digital fashion.

A review of the current literature on digital fashion reveals that a universal origin point of digital fashion has not yet been agreed on. One could postulate various reasons for this. Essentially however, the issue can be condensed in the fact that digital fashion design is still not clearly separated from the disciplines it originates from or even its analog counterpart, which it has seemingly become a subcategory of in the minds of people engaging with it today. A possible method for determining the historical origins of digital fashion is to trace its roots in other design fields which have enabled or influenced it and from which it has developed. Among these design fields are undoubtably video game design and 3D modelling. Furthermore, it might be argued that the general basis for digital clothing design also has origins in traditional 2D animation and arguably also digital material simulation.

Scholarly research has yet to acquaint itself with the rapid contemporary developments in the field of digital fashion design. The fast paced nature of technological innovations and advancements makes it challenging for researchers in the field to draw tangible conclusions on the guiding questions the young discipline faces. In reading fashion industry publications and consulting online resources, one is frequently under the impression that digital fashion manifested out of thin air several years ago and has since been quickly expanding and gaining importance in the fashion sphere.

This status quo on the history of digital fashion suggests that for further research into the topic, a history of digital fashion needs to be developed. As a fundamental step to this endeavour, a solid definition of the discipline should be established. If we accept a definition along the lines of Doyle 2022 which reads „Digital fashion is clothing that is not physically manufactured, including game skins, avatar clothing and Non-fungible tokens (NFT)”¹, we must accommodate a large variety of digitally existent clothing products into the term “digital fashion”. A more narrow definition might serve better when it comes to developing a clear history, but would potentially exclude interesting liminal and marginal case studies. It might further be useful to delineate digital fashion from traditional analog fashion by developing definitions of the two fields that point out their overlaps as well as their differences.

To close this brief exploration of digital fashion design history, three main conclusions can be drawn. Firstly, the current literature on digital fashion does not reveal a comprehensive account of the discipline’s origin and history. Secondly, an effort to develop such a history could endeavour an investigation into the relevant disciplines which digital fashion design emerged from. Thirdly, the exploration of the disciplines history requires a working definition of digital fashion in order to provide a solid basis for further investigations into the subject.

References:

¹ Doyle, Megan. (2022, March 2). Could digital fashion be an eco-friendly replacement for fast fashion? Ecocult. https://ecocult.com/digital-virtual-fashion-sustainability/.

by stefanie.weber - 8. Februar 2024

#08 Tanz im Film Geschichte – Literatur

Zu Beginn direkt etwas Literatur die ich zu meinem aktuellen Thema gefunden habe und für die Zukunft sehr hilfreich sein kann:

Köhler, Kristina: Der tänzerische Film. Frühe Filmkultur und moderner Tanz. Marburg: Schüren Verlag 2017
Bucher, Ladina u.a.: Tanz im Film. Das Politische in der Bewegung. Berlin: Verbrecher Verlag 2017
Hilton, Penny: Design in Motion. Applying Design Principles to Filmmaking. Ort?:Bloomsbury Publishing 2020
Gibson, Steve u.a.: Live Visuals. History, Theory, Practice. London/New York: Routledge 2023
Rosiny, Claudia (14.02.2018): Videotanz. nach dem film. In: https://nachdemfilm.de/issues/text/videotanz (zuletzt aufgerufen am 07.02.2024)
Cheung, Ming u.a.: Visual Background Recommendation for Dance Performances Using Dancer-Shared Images. IEEE International Conference on Internet of Things (iThings) and IEEE Green Computing and Communications (GreenCom) and IEEE Cyber, Physical and Social Computing (CPSCom) and IEEE Smart Data (SmartData) (2016),S. 521-527
Naess, Joan: A developmental approach to the interactive process in dance/movement therapy. In: American Journal of Dance Therapy Vol. 5 (1982), S. 43-55

Der Tänzer tanzt mit seinem Mittel, mit dem Körper. Die Kamera tanzt mit ihrem Mittel [. . .], erst die Hilfe von kombinierten Fahr-, Schwenk- und Kranaufnahmen, erst die Hilfe von spezifisch filmischen Mitteln ermöglicht einen lebendigen tänzerischen Eindruck. (Drommert 1962: 32)

Jeder versteht nämlich unter Tanz etwas anderes, der eine etwas Ballettartiges, der andere Pantomimen, der dritte wieder etwas Kultisches, was seiner persönlichen Vorstellung von griechischen Tänzen entspricht, und die meisten ein Hüpfen und Sichdrehen nach schnellen Polka- und Walzertakten, das dem geselligen Vergnügen des Volkes und der Ballsäle mehr oder weniger ähnlich ist. Andere wiederum wollen mit jenem Satz eine ihrer Meinung nach einwandfreie Formulierung des strengen ästhetischen Begriffs Tanz einleiten oder sie erachten diesen Begriff als schon gegeben, als bereits vorhandenen festen Maßstab. (Brandenburg 1921: 16, Herv. i. O.)

Seit es Film gibt, gibt es Tanzfilme. Zwischen dem tanzenden Licht und der Bewegung menschlicher Körper besteht eine ambivalente Verwandtschaft. Zwei gegensätzliche Erkenntnisweisen begegnen einander: der geometrisierende Blick und die Unmittelbarkeit körperlicher Erfahrung. Ob in Quentin Tarentinos »Pulp Fiction«, Jean Luc Godards »Bande à part« oder Lars von Triers »Dancer in the Dark«, in »Flashdance«, der »Step Up«-Reihe oder den amerikanischen Klassikern, überall lassen sich Einstiegspunkte zu Fragen finden, die das Feld der Tanzwissenschaft sprengen und zum Kern der Gesellschaft vordringen.

by vinzenz.weber - 19. November 2023

XR 2 // The Evolution and Current Landscape of Extended Reality

From Sensorama to Apple Vision Pro: A Journey Through XR’s History

The Beginnings: Sensorama and the First HMD

The journey of Extended Reality (XR) dates back to 1956 when cinematographer Morton Heilig created Sensorama, the first Virtual Reality (VR) machine.

This innovative movie booth combined 3D, stereoscopic color video with audio, smells, and a vibrating chair, immersing viewers in a unique cinematic experience. Heilig’s pioneering work didn’t stop there; in 1960, he patented the first head-mounted display (HMD), merging stereoscopic 3D images with stereo sound, laying the groundwork for future VR technologies.

Early Steps in Augmented Reality: The Sword of Damocles

By 1965, the field of XR took another significant leap with Ivan Sutherland’s development of „The Sword of Damocles“ Considered the first augmented reality (AR) HMD and tracking system, it aimed to enhance users‘ perception of the world. Despite its primitive user interface and simple wireframe graphics, it marked a crucial step in the evolution of AR.

Mediated Reality and the Reality-Virtuality Continuum

In the 1970s, Steve Mann’s research into mediated reality, which later influenced tech giants like Google, Apple, and Microsoft, focused on augmenting human perception through digital overlays in the real world. Building on this concept, Paul Milgram and Fumio Kishino introduced the Reality-Virtuality continuum in 1994, illustrating a spectrum of experiences from purely real to purely virtual environments.

The 1990s: Pioneering AR and the Birth of Sportsvision

The 1990s saw Thomas Caudell & David Mizell develop the first see-through HMD, coining the term „augmented reality.“ In a significant mainstream breakthrough, Sportsvision broadcast the first live NFL game in 1998 with a yellow yard marker overlay, revolutionizing sports broadcasting.

Modern Advancements: The 2010s Onward

The 2010s heralded rapid advancements in XR technology. Key developments included:

First Oculus Rift Prototype: A milestone in VR technology.
2014 – A Landmark Year: Sony and Samsung jumped into the VR headset market, while Google launched the affordable Cardboard VR viewer and the Google Glass AR glasses.
Microsoft’s HoloLens: Released in 2016, it introduced a more interactive AR experience, often referred to as „mixed reality.“
Pokémon GO: This 2016 game brought AR to the masses, demonstrating the technology’s mainstream appeal.

A Push into the Mainstream

Apple’s AR Kit and Google’s MR Toolkit made AR accessible on smartphones, broadening the technology’s reach. In 2017, the IKEA Place app showcased AR’s practical use in retail, allowing users to visualize furniture in their homes before purchasing.

The Current State: Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro

Today, we see state-of-the-art AR and VR combinations through devices like Meta Quest 3. The recent announcement of Apple Vision Pro signals a potential expansion in audience reach, acceptance, and continued research and development in mixed reality technologies.

Schlagwort: History