Fashion is one of the world’s largest manufacturing sectors, and this is especially true in Italy. Not just in terms of turnover but, above all, brand value, particularly the Made in Italy brand, which is sold so successfully around the world. However, it is a brand that is not valued as highly as it could be, and is exploited and abused to the detriment of Italy.

In the last few decades, fashion has attracted attention from universities and fashion courses have sprung up everywhere, ranging from vocational tailoring and pattern-making to theory courses on fashion culture. This is why the Fashion today: a cultural industry focus was created. Because studying and understanding fashion means understanding the society and people around us – how they change, what they want, and how they show themselves to others. There is substance in the outward appearance, and going deeper helps sell the surface in a cleaner, sharper, more effective way.

What does forming a fashion culture mean and, above all, why do it? Interest has widened to other sectors allied to the production of clothing and accessories, because fashion, besides being the driving force of Made in Italy, has always been an industry capable of capturing trends and future models and establishing them. By further exploring the concept of taste, for example, we can better define style – which is essential for a company wanting to position itself on the market and capture a particular share. So how are the styles associated with a brand defined? What are the various stages in the process? Contemporary society is chaotic by nature and the style that represents it mirrors this characteristic. It is a supermarket of styles in which each consumer picks off the shelves what grabs their attention most. In a society that loves putting every aspect of itself online, where the boundaries between public and private are vanishingly small, the individual that can emerge and be noticed is the winner. What happened to those groups and subcultures who opposed mainstream culture and style and formed alternative, creative groups of their own?

Aimed at those working in marketing and communication at Italian SMEs, brand owners wanting to improve their communication tools, and fashion freelancers looking to fine-tune their knowledge of communication and culture in order to be ready to handle the most competitive challenges, this focus takes a general and in-depth look at the social implications of fashion as an industry and as a culture.