Beauty ideals have always existed but have varied over time. Unattainable body and beauty ideals are once again at the center of the debate. What responsibility does the fashion industry have? The contemporary fashion industry is increasingly interested in how marketing communication affects people’s self-image. More fashion companies are creating advertisements that emphasize equality, the equal worth of individuals, and social inclusion. Why is this so? Is the fashion industry a powerful force in shaping and influencing societal norms and ideals? Or is the fashion industry more of a mirror that is forced to reflect upon these norms and ideals in its endeavor to make its products desirable?
These questions are the starting point for this session, where you, as a participant, have the opportunity to meet researchers from the Swedish School of Textiles who are part of the Marketing, Fashion, and Sustainable Consumption research group and to listen to Russel W. Belk, an internationally. distinguished researcher in marketing and consumer behaviour.
Program:
- Introduction by Karin M. Ekström, Professor of Business Administration with a focus on marketing, who will present the research group and a new book, ”Marketing Fashion, Critical Perspectives on the Power of Fashion in Contemporary Culture”.
- Russell W. Belk, Professor at York University, Canada, will present his latest research project on face and equality, something that major fashion companies are increasingly paying attention to.
- Josefine Nyström, PhD candidate in Textile Management, will present her ongoing dissertation project focusing on social sustainability and issues related to beauty ideals in relation to the fashion industry’s ambitions with inclusive marketing communication.
- Q&A session transitioning into a concluding mingle for the session participants.
Welcome to a thought-provoking session where participants can collectively reflect and discuss the diversity of beauty and the power of inclusion in society, marketing, and fashion.