Fashion is multi-billion dollar industry as well as a cultural product. On one hand, it survives in the increasingly competitive marketplace, producing transnational products for global audience. The increasing delocalisation of fashion production suggests that clothes are now produced, communicated and distributed in the global economy in a much faster pace.
On the other hand, the immaterial nature of fashion continues to permit changes to an individual as well as society. In particular, fashion, since the popularity of ready-to-wear in the sixties, no longer disseminated from top-down. Fashion trend has now been transmitted in various forms such as blogs, films and social media wherein anyone can claim share of it.

The way fashion has been used to construct oneself is historical. Yet the extent to which fashion can now be used to rejuvenate a city, to brand an establishment is phenomenal. With the proliferation of fashion cities, cross borders manufacturing sites, fashion is now operated transnationally. The empire of the ephemeral has a new momentum in the new world order.

This CDI lecture series positions fashion in the global context. Case studies will be used to illustrate its structural change and diverse forms. We will explore how branding, social media and moving images have shaped our understanding of today’s fashion vice versa.

This module aims to help you become independent researchers and thinkers, resulting in an individually written essay of 2,000 words with Harvard Referencing. It will be informed by CDI lecture series. You are expected to read extensively, conduct empirical research and carry out independent learning to complete the essay.

Work requirements:
A 2000-word essay on one of the following chosen titles:

• How contemporary fashion branding reflects on the notions of identity and the changes of a society.
Discuss this statement with specific example of a fashion brand/product or a phenomenon related to fashion in a given society.

• Today fashion trend is largely disseminated via the collaborative effort of new fashion media and prosumers.
Discuss this statement with (an) specific example(s) of new fashion media.

Your work should be submitted in PDF format via Turnitin, including relevant images to illustrate and accompany your writing. You should provide a word count and References in Harvard style.

Assessment submission requirements and deadlines:
Essay to be submitted by 4.00pm on Wednesday 6th April 2016.

Feedback date:
Feedback will be given within 20 working days of submission –Wednesday 6th May 2016.
Please see Module Guide for project timetable and all other information on word count, assessment criteria, etc.