Abstract
ABSTRACTWhen the animate fashion model emerged in the 1870s, cultural observers were quick to note the many paradoxes the ‘mannequin vivant’ embodied. Occupying both private and public spaces and blurring the ontological divide between the original and copy, the living fashion model questioned the boundaries between corporeality and mechanical reproduction. This essay explores the liminal position of the ‘mannequin vivant’ by situating it within another paradoxical relationship the model engendered, that of fame and anonymity. Accounts of the living fashion model during the fin de siècle period not only attest to the model’s ubiquitous media presence, but also to her anonymity. This essay proposes that the fin-de-siècle living fashion model, through its integration into the cityscape and its position in the cultural imaginary, was inextricably tied to the network of celebrity in ways that endure to this day.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
