Fashion Advertising: An Interdisciplinary Study

Interdisciplinary study is something that has been highly inspirational during the development of this thesis project.Particularly the links within architecture such as art movements and cinematic representation. At the beginning of researching possible topics for this thesis, it became clear that fashion was the best starting point.

This thesis aims to take inspiration from the work of Aby Warburg, presenting ideas in a scattered yet accumulated manner to explore themes associated with fashion advertising. The thesis will refer to writings and images (both physical and digital) to form a ‘catalogue of knowledge’ on the subject. These themes will subsequently be analysed, and using a variety of artistic techniques new arguments on topics will be formed. The thesis is not something that has one apparent outcome. It should be read and experienced differently by every reader, much like Aby Warburg’s Atlas.

The thesis project is divided into three parts. Firstly, a literature review of fashion advertising has been undertaken. This research in the form of a short report- style essay examines main themes including cinema, photography and architecture, and how they have been used throughout history in the fashion industry. The essay also develops on themes including the experience economy, as well as the political and social influence fashion has on society.

‘Part 2’ of the thesis is the case study. This segment will be an in-depth analysis of the fashion brand Off-White and its founder Virgil Abloh. An analysis of topics discussed in ‘Part 1’ will be shown using graphics and photographs from the brand. The case study is presented in a bold magazine- style to coincide with the graphic style of the brand. Every page in ‘Part 2’ also includes personal annotations and analysis of the work presented, linking it back to the initial research undertaken in ‘Part 1’.

The final section of the thesis project, or ‘Part 3’ is the design heavy component titled “An Architects Guide to Fashion Advertising”. This can be described more as a collection of ideas trying to accumulate all research carried out in the first two sections of the thesis. The ‘guide’ is aimed at architects, breaking down fashion advertising into more architectural themes such as context. There are also a series of multidisciplinary techniques that can be developed by architects as a way of influencing ideas of advertising. ‘Part 3’ is not designed to have one definitive output, it is to suggest new ways of approaching a design task, whilst educating architects on the benefits surrounding interdisciplinary research.