From polyester or nylon animal prints to tartan replicas and florals for spring, the sub-theme “fabric, patterns, and prints” is directly related to repetitions, imitations, and the proliferation of designs within consumerism and capitalism. Historically, each fabric might have told a story and played a role in the representation and stereotyping of femininity. So what does it mean today when we are presented with cheaper, plasticized versions?
In combination with other images—or standing alone—these pictorial translations become ambiguous symbols whose origins are untraceable. Their ambiguity reflects a detachment of contemporary consumers from authenticity and origin, and also suggests that, through endless repetition, the image of femininity is less about material history and more about a persistent, manufactured code.
