Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
2-2024
Document Type
Capstone Project
Degree Name
M.A.
Program
Liberal Studies
Advisor
Eugenia Paulicelli
Committee Members
David Humphries
Subject Categories
Art and Design | Arts and Humanities | Fashion Design
Keywords
Apparel, Culture, Dress, Fast Fashion, Fashion, History, Craftmanship, Industrialization
Abstract
The fashion industry itself is broad in scope and dependent upon numerous sub-industries to produce its garments. It is heavily dependent upon machinery of all kinds, yet unlike many industries today, it is still also largely reliant on manual labor, specifically minority women labor. This dependance upon manual labor correlates with its long history of worker exploitation and sweated labor. The concentration of exploitative labor practices in the fashion industry have made it a focal point in the ongoing struggle between workers and the downward pressure capitalism and industrialization placed on worker compensation, quality of life and job security.
This study considers the material culture of dress, not solely as an artifact or theory within fashion, but as an object of craftmanship. Utilizing the recreation of the “Tanagra Dress” originally designed by Rosa Genoni in 1908 and my personal experience of over a decade within the New York Garment industry, I will explore professional divisions and obscurities of an enormous industry that often leaves its explicit process and makers out of the narrative. The project of recreating Rosa Genoni’s “Tanagra Dress” incorporated seamlessly a tangible object, to an obscure process, with a long history that will inspire this body of work.
Recommended Citation
Trupiano, Christina, "Fashion, Freedom, and Feminism: The Transcendent Work of Rosa Genoni and Her "Tanagra Dress" Reimagined" (2024). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/5909