The Fashion System

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

The great linguist and sociologist turns his attention to the world of fashion Fashion never ceases to interest psychologists, aestheticians and sociologists. Roland Barthes, however, examined fashion from a new point of view. Using descriptions from magazines, he uncovered a system of meaning and subjected it for the first time to semantic analysis. The Fashion System, published in France in 1967, is bold and imaginative. In his endeavour to confine his love, outrage and passion for fashion to a system, Barthes created a work of literature that is witty, humane, personal and enormously stimulating

Reviews

Obsessed with thinking about thinking, Barthes' life was a stylish intellectual adventure. He was also a hedonist, a meticulous dresser, gay, sensitive, sardonic, sociable, gossipy. He made reading a sacrament. With his unique vision, Barthes has helped us to read the world * Independent on Sunday *
Only lightweights read gushy coffee-table books of the 'Monsieur X is the best designer in the world!' variety; to be truly hardcore, get your hands on Roland Barthes' The Fashion System. Struggle to the end of this and, boy, will you feel clever * Guardian *
Barthes was an enormously alluring, sympathetic and sexy character * Independent *

Author Bio

Roland Barthes was born in 1915 and studied French literature and classics at the University of Paris. After teaching French at universities in Romania and Egypt, he joined the Centre National de Recherche Scientifique, where he devoted himself to research in sociology and lexicology. He was a professor at the College de France until his death in 1980.