On the Edge of the Abyss: A Step Back Toward Prosperity Fashion

Abstract

To approach prosperity fashion holistically, conventional constructs about fashion design processes and the interpersonal relations they lead to should be questioned and reoriented. To set this viewpoint in context, this article begins by reviewing the current state of fashion and its implications for production and consumption (both of which have expanded significantly), triggering a fluidity of identity focused on image and performance. Next, the article assumes an ontological perspective of fashion as art and/or design, examining to what degree each category emphasizes the esthetic, functional and use aspects; each paragraph is followed by our perceptions and appreciation for specific designs and designers, writing in the first-person plural and intentionally indenting these inserts. The third section highlights the significance of processes that emphasize the representation of the phenomenological body; by drawing on our sensory, bodily knowledge, backgrounds, and research practices, we utilize an autoethnographic format to describe our individual explorations in pattern design, both grounded on intuition as a creative force. To conclude, the extracted meaning from the two self-narratives conveys the concept of prosperity fashion as a meaningful and multidimensional (i.e., non-consumerist) understanding of the relationship between body[maker]—process—body[user].