 From Rituals to Runways: Theorizing the Folkloric Turn in Contemporary Fashion Through Simone Rocha’s “Lughnasadh”Aoife Murray
A chapter in Fashion Communication in the Digital Age, 2026, pp 15-27 from Springer Abstract: Abstract This paper argues that there has been a recent “folkloric turn” in contemporary fashion, by analyzing Irish designer Simone Rocha’s AW23 collection “Lughnasadh.” Drawing on a theoretical framework informed by Walter Benjamin’s ideas on time, this work of applied theory decodes the material and symbolic expressions of Irish heritage and identity that can be seen on the runway in 2023. This paper posits that the contemporary folkloric turn is a response to the increased globalization and secularization of Western culture in an era of digital capitalism, which produces an aesthetic interest in the “traditional” beliefs, customs, and histories of a given community. While folklore’s commercialization raises questions of authenticity, this paper argues that its presence in fashion offers an alternative way of engaging with “fashion time” that fosters sustainability and deeper engagement with cultural heritage. Keywords: Folklore; Simone Rocha; Time; Fashion runway; Cultural heritage (search for similar items in EconPapers) There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it. Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-3-031-99481-4_2 Ordering information: This item can be ordered from DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-99481-4_2 Access Statistics for this chapter More chapters in Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics from Springer |
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