90850 - History of Fashion Archives and Heritage

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student acquires critical knowledge and applied skills concerning archives for fashion. In particular, he has the ability to apply cataloging and archiving methods for fashion objects, analysed in their historical, economic and cultural context.

Course contents

Contemporary Fashion Archives: Memory, Myth, and Future. The Archive as a Practice of Conservation and Knowledge

1) The Archive in Contemporary Fashion: The Italian Fashion Fund by G.B. Giorgini
2) Archives, Narrations, and Myth-Making. The Archive as a Tool for Storytelling and Cultural Legitimation of Fashion Houses

- Gabrielle Chanel's Invention of the Eternal Return
- Christian Dior: The Theatricalization of Heritage between Avenue Montaigne and the Couture Archives
- Yves Saint Laurent: The Archive as Visual Autobiography between Paris and Marrakech

3) Theatricality, Monumentality, and Fashion as a Work of Art. The Relationship Between Fashion, Performance, and the Museum- Roberto Capucci and the Dress as Sculpture
- Cristobal Balenciaga and the Architecture of Volume
- Pierre Cardin and the Futurist Vision of the Silhouette
- Alexander MCQueen and Fashion as Theater, Spectacle, and Dramatic Narration

 4) Heritage, Visual Identities, and Maison Codes. Heritage as a Creative and Commercial Resource

- Pucci: psychedelic prints, the Emilio signature
- Versace: the myth of the Medusa, the Baroque, and the       Mediterranean imagery
- Valentino: red, couture, and the idea of Roman elegance


5) Italy in Archive: Fashion, Craftsmanship, and the Memory of Made in Italy. National Cultural Heritage. Corporate Archives as Laboratories of Made in Italy

- Ferragamo: The Relationship Between Technical Innovation and the Memory of the Shoe Factory
- Gucci: From the Equestrian Archive to the Contemporary Rewriting of Identity
- Armani: The Archive of Minimalism and New Contemporary Elegance
- Fendi: Fur, Experimentation, and a Dialogue with Art

6) Hidden, Forgotten, and Radical Archives. The Fragility of Fashion: Dispersion, Losses, and the Rediscovery of Archives

- Martin Margiela: The Anti-Archive, Anonymity, and the Deconstruction of Memory
- Moschino: "For Fashion Victims Only"

7) Digital Archives, Algorithms, and the Future of Fashion Memory. The Transformation of the Archive in the Digital Age. New Ethical Questions. Digital Reproduction of Heritage

- Prada: Archive, Research, and Contemporary Culture
- The Digital Archives of the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Metropolitan Museum of Art

8) The Archive as a Place of the Future. From the Preserved Object to the Archive as an Ecosystem. Preserving the Past to Imagine the Future

 

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) and with the lecturer in order to seek togheter  the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

 

Readings/Bibliography

For All Students
F. Fornaciari, Archiviare la Moda. Evoluzioni di inizio millennio, Pearson Italia, Milano 2022

For Attending Students
Additional study materials will be made available by the Teacher at the beginning of the course.

 

For Non-Attending Students

 
Required reading:

F. Fornaciari, Archiviare la Moda. Evoluzioni di inizio millennio, Pearson Italia, Milano 2022;

Plus one reading selected from the following text:

E. Merlo, M. N. Trevisano, Lo stile italiano nelle carte. Inventario dell'archivio storico della Camera Nazionale dela Moda Italiana (1958-1989), Ministero della Cultura, 2018;

F. Valacchi, Diventare Archivisti, Editrice Bibliografica, Milano 2015 (capitoli 4-7);

R. Andò, S. Briatore (cura di), Trame. Il Tessuto italiano dei musei e degli archivi di moda, Silvana Editoriale, Cinisello Balsamo (Milano) 2026;

S. Gnoli, Archeologia della moda, Carocci Editore, Roma 2026.

Teaching methods

Lectures, seminars, and workshops.

Among the planned activities, the "SENSORY ARCHIVES OF FASHION" workshop, led by Professor David Alberto Murolo (Digital Cultural Heritage Manager), will offer students the opportunity to experiment with research and storytelling methodologies applied to fashion archives and their public communication.

Assessment methods

Oral Exam for all students

For attending students:

The exam will assess students' understanding of the course texts and content, as well as their ability to analyze the topic of Contemporary Fashion Archives. Additionally, a detailed analysis of the project work from the "Sensory Archives of Fashion" workshop is required.

For non-attending students:

In addition to the oral exam for non-attending students, as required by the course syllabus, students may complete a project work independently on the topic of "Sensory Archives of Fashion." The methodology for this project will be published in the online teaching materials.

 

The use of AI tools during the exam is prohibited in any form, including chatbots, text generators,  advanced translators, content synthesizers, and tools integrated into devices.

Any use of AI is considered a violation of the principle of  honesty and fairness set out in the Policy and may result in the test being cancelled by the teacher, who remains  responsible for veryfying the validity of the examination.

 

STUDENTS with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities.
It is necessary to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) with ample time in advance: the office will propose some adjustaments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

Multimedia tools

Office hours

See the website of Daniela Calanca