Fashion and heritage

Fashion shows for the enhancement of mutual beauty

Abstract

Fashion and cultural heritage constitute an artistic genius transmitted over time through the explication of symbolic and formal values. The construction of a dialogue between these two identities has generated different exchanging aesthetic codes thanks to the standard reference to a language focused on communicating beauty. On the one hand, the Maisons find, in the heritage reference, the definition of an identity linked to the manifestations of outstanding beauty on the territory, on the other hand, the intervention of brands provides the economic resources necessary for conservation and management operations. Among the institutional forms of this exchange, patronage plays a fundamental role; the fashion brand intervenes financially in restoration or enhancement projects, often celebrating them in situ through events with a strong media impact aimed at building a relationship between the values of the Maison and those of the heritage. In recent decades, large fashion shows have been designed as events of the utmost exaltation of beauty, in which the union between fashion and heritage is sealed by highly scenographic but also brief and reversible set-ups. Large installations made of catwalks, lights, architectural reconstructions, natural scenery, and sound and image technologies constitute the medium code that allows the union between heritage and the performances of models and artists. Each show is site-specific, and creative directors, set designers, architects and superintendents share their visions and ideas. The pursued goal is the maximum enhancement of each involved party by creating a scenario in which fashion and cultural heritage collaborate through the temporary project to realise significant beauty events.