The Outlines of Fashion Production

This article is the first outcome from a research of a greater scope, which aims to answer the following question: How is symbolic meaning attached to fashion products constructed? Furthermore, how is meaning attached to fashion goods constructed by those cultural contexts in which they are perceived and evaluated? The following article aims to point out that the different phases, including fashion shows, fashion magazines, and retail stores, are such cultural contexts in which fashion items are imbued with symbolic meaning. By mapping the bare bones of the meaning-constructing structure of fashion products, the main intention of the current paper is to outline the process in which fashion goods – including clothes, bags, shoes and other accessories – are enriched with symbolic meaning from leaving the first the product line to the fashion designers’ salons.