Class, clothes, and co-creativity

Abstract

Abstract This article discusses the proliferation of class distinctions through the consumption of fashion, using the concept of co-creativity to further our understanding of the role of consumers in the production of newness and difference. Drawing on recent theories of identity and creativity, it is a contribution to the development of research methodologies adequate to the task of understanding fashion, by focusing on cross-media practices through which clothes/objects become meaningful, rather studying clothes within the confines of an object-based discipline (such as Dress History). It emphasizes creative production as the outcome of historically specific relationships between practitioners, objects/images, and consumers. The broader context for this discussion relates to current issues and debates around the creative economy’s need for a fusion of knowledge and skills from graduates who are comfortable working across the boundaries of established disciplines such as design and marketing.