Fashionable Childhood: Children in Advertising

(Paperback)

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Fashionable Childhood is the first book to critically examine representations of children and childhood through fashion media. Focussing on themes such as innocence, sexuality, class, and gender, this book provides a detailed and fascinating overview of the topic over the last 40 years. With case studies of advertising campaigns from international fashion brands such as Calvin Klein, Dior, Ralph Lauren and in-depth research into Italys special edition of Vogue dedicated to childrenswear, Vogue Bambini, Fashionable Childhood examines the ways childrens fashion is presented globally. With the market for childrens fashion witnessing rapid growth in recent years, this exciting book will be of particular interest and value to students of fashion marketing, promotion, journalism, history, and theory.

Reviews

Vanska offers new perspectives on the common media refrains surrounding childrens appearance, sexuality, and lost innocence. This welcome contribution to the literature on children, fashion, and advertising provides important historical and theoretical context for a frank analysis of contemporary controversies, sexuality, portrayals of children, and child models. -- Jennifer Farley Gordon, Iowa State University.
Little has been written about the impact of fashion imagery and the representation of childrens identities until now. Original, highly informed and well researched, this book is an important contribution to the field of fashion scholarship. -- Vicki Karaminas, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand.
Reader Alert: This book turns heads. Fashionable Childhood provides a unique insight into the mutually constitutive spheres of consumer culture, childhood and the visual representation of children. What follows is a compelling and insightful analysis of the significance of fashion and the contested terrain of childhood innocence. Anyone who thought fashion was marginal or trivial will think again. This book makes a valuable and timely contribution to the field, with a strikingly thought-provoking approach to making sense of modern childhood in contemporary times. -- Mary Jane Kehily, Professor of Gender and Education, The Open University, UK

Author Bio

Annamari Vnsk is Professor of Fashion Research at the Aalto University, Finland, and Visiting Professor at Shanghai College of Fashion, Donghua University, China. In 2013, she was awarded the prize for Adjunct Professor of the Year by the University of Helsinki, Finland. Translated by Eva Malkki, professional translator and managing director of the sole-proprietor translation company Evaberry Ltd, Finland.