Fashion as an Art and Culture
Fashion is both an art and a culture. As an art, fashion focuses on using appearance and aesthetic value to bring artistic look and status. Eco believes that clothing uses non-verbal cues to communicate a message to the wearer or the person seeing the garment (Malcolm, 2008, pp.28). Clothes can be denoted to be assembled into something just as a sentence consists of collected words. Every dress seems to have its language and grammar hence every outfit is unique. Lurie suggests that the number of clothes an individual has gives him room to communicate more.
Model of Communication in Fashion
The two scholars do not explicitly state the model of communication being used by the clothes. Fiske points out that the communication is sending information from one person to the other. In the context, a garment is a medium through which data is transmitted with the aim of bringing change to someone (Malcolm, 2008, pp.29). The message would, therefore, represent the intention of the sender and is also what is received. Effective communication can only take place if both the transmission process is efficient and purpose of the sender is clear (Malcolm, 2008 pp.30). Therefore, individuals send information about their mood and their activities of the day depending on the clothes they wear. However, it is difficult to predict the sender of the message because the designer and the wearer are both involved (Malcolm, 2008, pp. 31). It is difficult to determine communication breakdown from the viewpoint of fashion.
The Community Model of Communication
The second model of communication believes that individuals are members of a community which results from an interaction. Communication takes place among members of that given community. According to Malcolm 2008 (pp. 33), the meaning is given to the message after communication has taken place. A garment is provided different purposes depending on various cultural producers and interpretations hence the original meaning of the garment is lost.
Clothing and Fashion as Means of Communication
Clothing and fashion are a means of communication. Different sorts of communication bring about a different understanding of the word communication.
References
Malcolm Barnard., (2008) Fashion as communication. Routledge pp.28-33
