Inclusivity in fashion is a multifaceted and continually evolving concept, shaped by shifting cultural and historical contexts. In recent years, heightened societal awareness around diversity has prompted a redefinition of beauty standards, challenging entrenched norms and expanding representation across body types, physical conditions, ages, racial and ethnic identities, gender expressions. This expansion is increasingly including disability and its intersection with other forms of social exclusion. The democratization of fashion, alongside the hypermediatization of visual content, has reshaped the fashion ecosystem, amplifying new voices, diversifying aesthetic norms, and prompting questions about how fashion is communicated and how brands engage with inclusivity. However, these same mechanisms have also perpetuated exclusion and reinforced systemic inequalities. While the relentless circulation of visual content opens up space for alternative representations, it often reproduces normative standards and commodifies difference. As a result, the promise of inclusivity oscillates between genuine transformation and performative gestures. This evolving landscape fuels activist movements that demand greater visibility for marginalized bodies — particularly those marked by disability — while encouraging deeper reflection on care, embodiment, and vulnerability. These movements challenge dominant narratives and advocate for more socially reflective representations in campaigns, runway shows, and design practices. Such transformations have reverberated within academic discourse, scholars in fashion studies are increasingly adopting interdisciplinary and critically engaged approaches to explore fashion’s cultural significance and societal role. They are rethinking how fashion is taught, embracing pedagogies that foreground inclusivity and critical thinking preparing future professionals to navigate and reshape the complex social narratives embedded within the fashion system. The Zonemoda Journal issue Inclusive Fashion brings together a range of contributions that explore inclusivity from multiple perspectives, drawing attention to its diverse implications and transformative potential.
Piancazzo, F., Sassatelli, M., Paltrinieri, R. (2025). Zonemoda Journal.
Zonemoda Journal
flavia piancazzo;monica sassatelli;roberta paltrinieri
2025
Abstract
Inclusivity in fashion is a multifaceted and continually evolving concept, shaped by shifting cultural and historical contexts. In recent years, heightened societal awareness around diversity has prompted a redefinition of beauty standards, challenging entrenched norms and expanding representation across body types, physical conditions, ages, racial and ethnic identities, gender expressions. This expansion is increasingly including disability and its intersection with other forms of social exclusion. The democratization of fashion, alongside the hypermediatization of visual content, has reshaped the fashion ecosystem, amplifying new voices, diversifying aesthetic norms, and prompting questions about how fashion is communicated and how brands engage with inclusivity. However, these same mechanisms have also perpetuated exclusion and reinforced systemic inequalities. While the relentless circulation of visual content opens up space for alternative representations, it often reproduces normative standards and commodifies difference. As a result, the promise of inclusivity oscillates between genuine transformation and performative gestures. This evolving landscape fuels activist movements that demand greater visibility for marginalized bodies — particularly those marked by disability — while encouraging deeper reflection on care, embodiment, and vulnerability. These movements challenge dominant narratives and advocate for more socially reflective representations in campaigns, runway shows, and design practices. Such transformations have reverberated within academic discourse, scholars in fashion studies are increasingly adopting interdisciplinary and critically engaged approaches to explore fashion’s cultural significance and societal role. They are rethinking how fashion is taught, embracing pedagogies that foreground inclusivity and critical thinking preparing future professionals to navigate and reshape the complex social narratives embedded within the fashion system. The Zonemoda Journal issue Inclusive Fashion brings together a range of contributions that explore inclusivity from multiple perspectives, drawing attention to its diverse implications and transformative potential.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
