From haute couture to prêt-à-porter, from textile production to designer training, France has historically been at the forefront of fashion and clothing technology. This distinctive module draws on that long-standing cultural investment in dress and the visual arts to explore French fashion through visual culture and perspectives drawn from material culture studies.
Taught through a combination of lectures and seminars, the module examines a wide range of cultural productions across different historical periods, including medieval manuscript illustration, theatre designs, fashion plates, lifestyle journalism, and bande dessinée. Students are encouraged to consider how dress functions as a tool for self- and group definition, and how clothing communicates social values, identity, and power within French culture.
By the end of the module, successful students will have developed a strong understanding of the historical significance of French fashion, alongside advanced skills in analysing visual and material objects. Assessment combines close object-based analysis with a larger employability-focused, research-based project, allowing students to demonstrate both detailed critical engagement and broader interpretive thinking. After completing this module, getting dressed in the morning may never seem quite so innocent again.