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Undressing the Power of Fashion: the Semiotic Evolution of Gender Identity by Coco Chanel and Alexander Mcqueen

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Undressing the Power of Fashion: the Semiotic Evolution of Gender Identity by Coco Chanel and Alexander Mcqueen Bucknell University Bucknell Digital Commons Honors Theses Student Theses 2015 Undressing the Power of Fashion: the Semiotic Evolution of Gender Identity By Coco Chanel and Alexander Mcqueen Sveva Marcangeli Bucknell University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.bucknell.edu/honors_theses Recommended Citation Marcangeli, Sveva, "Undressing the Power of Fashion: the Semiotic Evolution of Gender Identity By Coco Chanel and Alexander Mcqueen" (2015). Honors Theses. 300. https://digitalcommons.bucknell.edu/honors_theses/300 This Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses at Bucknell Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Bucknell Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 103 iv Table of Contents Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. iv List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vi Abstract .......................................................................... ............................................... viii Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER 1: A Semiotic Approach to Gender ................................................................ 7 A. Method of Development Overview ........................................................................ 7 B. What is meant by “Sex” and “Gender”? ................................................................. 8 C. Historically Fashioning a Gendered Approach to Dress ......................................... 9 D. Construction of Gender through Fashion .............................................................. 13 E. When did Clothing become Fashion? ................................................................... 16 F. Proust as a Couturier of Fashion Motifs and Signs in Literature .......................... 17 G. Clothing as a Sign System .................................................................................... 21 H. Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 24 CHAPTER 2: Chanel’s Role in Readdressing Sexual Hierarchies ................................. 26 A. The Little Black Dress .......................................................................................... 26 a. How to Conduct a Semiotic Analysis on Fashion Garments .......................... 27 b. Silhouette ......................................................................................................... 29 c. The Color Black .............................................................................................. 31 d. Obscuring Masculine Text .............................................................................. 34 e. Costume Jewelry ............................................................................................. 35 f. String Tie bow ................................................................................................. 36 g. Fabric ............................................................................................................... 37 h. Deconstruction of the Little Black Dress ........................................................ 38 i. Conclusion of the Little Black Dress .............................................................. 39 B. Camellia Dress ...................................................................................................... 40 a. Silhouette ......................................................................................................... 40 b. Silk and Lace ................................................................................................... 41 c. Camellia Flower .............................................................................................. 42 d. Camellia Conclusion ....................................................................................... 43 C. Boyish Look Ensemble ......................................................................................... 43 a. Form ................................................................................................................ 44 b. Leather ............................................................................................................. 45 c. Art Deco Japonsime ........................................................................................ 46 d. String Tie Bow/Ribbon ................................................................................... 47 e. Black Shift Again ............................................................................................ 48 f. Camellia Flower .............................................................................................. 48 v g. Boyish Look Ensemble Conclusion ................................................................ 49 D. Availability of Chanel Clothing ............................................................................ 49 E. Prelude into Alexander McQueen ......................................................................... 50 CHAPTER 3: Alexander McQueen ................................................................................. 52 A. Accessibility of McQueen’s Clothing ................................................................... 53 B. Feather Dress ........................................................................................................ 56 a. Silhouette ......................................................................................................... 57 b. The Gray Area of Androgyny ......................................................................... 58 c. Ruffles Used as a Weapon Rather than a Form of Oppression ....................... 59 d. Feathers ........................................................................................................... 61 i. Ostrich Feathers .......................................................................................... 62 ii. Duck Feathers ............................................................................................. 63 e. Feather Dress Conclusion ................................................................................ 64 C. Antler Dress .......................................................................................................... 64 a. Silhouette ......................................................................................................... 65 b. Ruffles ............................................................................................................. 66 c. Lace ................................................................................................................. 66 d. Resin Antlers and Veil .................................................................................... 67 e. Antler Dress Conclusion ................................................................................. 68 D. Spine Corset .......................................................................................................... 69 a. Corset in S&M Culture as a Sign of Female Strength .................................... 70 b. Curled Dog Tail ............................................................................................... 70 c. Spine Corset Conclusion ................................................................................. 71 E. Prelude into Evolution Analysis ........................................................................... 72 CHAPTER 4: Evolution of a Gender Stereotype ............................................................ 73 A. Accessibility of Clothing ...................................................................................... 73 B. Manipulating Culturally Gender Constructed Signs ............................................. 74 C. Silhouettes ............................................................................................................. 76 D. Can a Male Designer be a Feminist? .................................................................... 76 E. Extent to which Signs are emphasized ................................................................. 80 F. Obscuring Masculine or Feminine Text ............................................................... 81 G. Evolution of Femininity ........................................................................................ 82 H. Conclusion of Evolution ....................................................................................... 82 CHAPTER 5: Evolution of Gender Stereotypes .............................................................. 83 A. Evolution of Gender Stereotypes of Femininity and Masculinity......................... 83 B. Evolution in the Extent to which the Fetish Culture was Accentuated ................ 87 C. Evolution in Female Signifiers ............................................................................. 89 D. Evolution in Cultural Norms of Femininity and Masculinity ............................... 91 vi E. Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 92 WORKS CITED .............................................................................................................. 94 List of Figures Figures
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