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Beyond the catwalk. Designing fashion shows between ephemerality and responsibility

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Summary:Abstract Fashion shows have been the subject of increasing critical attention for their environmental and symbolic impact, resulting emblematic of the contradictions of contemporary spectacular capitalism. While originally they were functional moments for the presentation of seasonal collections, today they are configured as real artistic productions with a high consumption of resources, often organised in exotic or symbolic places, with a significant ecological footprint. However, since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been an intensification of reflection on the organisational methods and transformative potential of these events. This article analyses three emerging approaches that show concrete attempts to reconfigure fashion shows in an ecological and sustainable way: the use of nature as a performative setting, the aestheticisation of waste and the promotion of circularity. Through the critical analysis of case studies - from the fashion shows immersed in nature by Marine Serre and Jacquemus, to the use of recycled materials by Marni and Diesel, to the reuse and conscious design policies promoted by Bureau Betak, Prada and Spazio Meta - both the expressive potential and the structural limits of these practices are highlighted. In particular, the article emphasises how the sustainability of fashion shows cannot be addressed only as a technical issue, but implies a cultural, aesthetic and political rethinking of the very role of fashion within contemporary society. Fashion shows thus become not only brand communication tools, but also performative spaces in which new relationships between creativity, environment and cultural production are negotiated.
Main Authors:Franzo,Paolo
Subject:Fashion shows Ecodesign Circular Practices Responsibility Ephemeral Events
Year:2025
Country:Portugal
Document type:report
Access type:open access
Associated institution:Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia
Language:English
Origin:SciELO Portugal
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author Franzo,Paolo
author_facet Franzo,Paolo
author_role author
country_str PT
creators_json_txt [{\"Person.name\":\"Franzo,Paolo\"}]
datacite.creators.creator.creatorName.fl_str_mv Franzo,Paolo
datacite.rights.fl_str_mv http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
datacite.subjects.subject.fl_str_mv Fashion shows
Ecodesign
Circular Practices
Responsibility
Ephemeral Events
datacite.titles.title.fl_str_mv Beyond the catwalk. Designing fashion shows between ephemerality and responsibility
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Franzo,Paolo
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv text/html
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://scielo.pt/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2184-01802025000200133
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Escola Superior de Artes Aplicadas
Instituto Politécnico Castelo Branco
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Convergências - Revista de Investigação e Ensino das Artes v.18 n.36 2025
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Fashion shows
Ecodesign
Circular Practices
Responsibility
Ephemeral Events
dc.title.fl_str_mv Beyond the catwalk. Designing fashion shows between ephemerality and responsibility
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_93fc
description Abstract Fashion shows have been the subject of increasing critical attention for their environmental and symbolic impact, resulting emblematic of the contradictions of contemporary spectacular capitalism. While originally they were functional moments for the presentation of seasonal collections, today they are configured as real artistic productions with a high consumption of resources, often organised in exotic or symbolic places, with a significant ecological footprint. However, since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been an intensification of reflection on the organisational methods and transformative potential of these events. This article analyses three emerging approaches that show concrete attempts to reconfigure fashion shows in an ecological and sustainable way: the use of nature as a performative setting, the aestheticisation of waste and the promotion of circularity. Through the critical analysis of case studies - from the fashion shows immersed in nature by Marine Serre and Jacquemus, to the use of recycled materials by Marni and Diesel, to the reuse and conscious design policies promoted by Bureau Betak, Prada and Spazio Meta - both the expressive potential and the structural limits of these practices are highlighted. In particular, the article emphasises how the sustainability of fashion shows cannot be addressed only as a technical issue, but implies a cultural, aesthetic and political rethinking of the very role of fashion within contemporary society. Fashion shows thus become not only brand communication tools, but also performative spaces in which new relationships between creativity, environment and cultural production are negotiated.
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person_str_mv Franzo,Paolo
publishDate 2025
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Instituto Politécnico Castelo Branco
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spelling Beyond the catwalk. Designing fashion shows between ephemerality and responsibilityFranzo,PaoloFashion showsEcodesignCircular PracticesResponsibilityEphemeral Eventsopen accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2http://scielo.pt/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2184-01802025000200133URLhttp://scielo.pt/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2184-01802025000200133URLHasVersion2025-12-01Abstract Fashion shows have been the subject of increasing critical attention for their environmental and symbolic impact, resulting emblematic of the contradictions of contemporary spectacular capitalism. While originally they were functional moments for the presentation of seasonal collections, today they are configured as real artistic productions with a high consumption of resources, often organised in exotic or symbolic places, with a significant ecological footprint. However, since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been an intensification of reflection on the organisational methods and transformative potential of these events. This article analyses three emerging approaches that show concrete attempts to reconfigure fashion shows in an ecological and sustainable way: the use of nature as a performative setting, the aestheticisation of waste and the promotion of circularity. Through the critical analysis of case studies - from the fashion shows immersed in nature by Marine Serre and Jacquemus, to the use of recycled materials by Marni and Diesel, to the reuse and conscious design policies promoted by Bureau Betak, Prada and Spazio Meta - both the expressive potential and the structural limits of these practices are highlighted. In particular, the article emphasises how the sustainability of fashion shows cannot be addressed only as a technical issue, but implies a cultural, aesthetic and political rethinking of the very role of fashion within contemporary society. Fashion shows thus become not only brand communication tools, but also performative spaces in which new relationships between creativity, environment and cultural production are negotiated.Escola Superior de Artes AplicadasInstituto Politécnico Castelo BrancoConvergências - Revista de Investigação e Ensino das Artes v.18 n.36 2025text/htmlengreporthttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_93fcother research product
spellingShingle Beyond the catwalk. Designing fashion shows between ephemerality and responsibility
Franzo,Paolo
Fashion shows
Ecodesign
Circular Practices
Responsibility
Ephemeral Events
status SINGLETON
subject.fl_str_mv Fashion shows
Ecodesign
Circular Practices
Responsibility
Ephemeral Events
title Beyond the catwalk. Designing fashion shows between ephemerality and responsibility
title_full Beyond the catwalk. Designing fashion shows between ephemerality and responsibility
title_fullStr Beyond the catwalk. Designing fashion shows between ephemerality and responsibility
title_full_unstemmed Beyond the catwalk. Designing fashion shows between ephemerality and responsibility
title_short Beyond the catwalk. Designing fashion shows between ephemerality and responsibility
title_sort Beyond the catwalk. Designing fashion shows between ephemerality and responsibility
topic Fashion shows
Ecodesign
Circular Practices
Responsibility
Ephemeral Events
topic_facet Fashion shows
Ecodesign
Circular Practices
Responsibility
Ephemeral Events
url http://scielo.pt/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2184-01802025000200133
visible 1