The social semiotic context of the fashion show

Abstract

Abstract A fashion show is a form of social activity which is worth examining on several counts, including in terms of the preparation of garments, the space in which they are presented, and the way of presenting them. In this study, the fashion show is evaluated within the boundaries of social semiotics, which is widely accepted as a subfield of semiotics. Single garments are not presented in the show. Instead, a collection of garments created by a fashion designer in the context of a particular theme and style is presented. The collection made by the designer also forms the discourse of the designer. There are fashion models who present the collection of garments in front of clients. Although the models are on the podium, they are, in fact, in the position of the voice of the fashion designer. It is the models who present the elements of discourse on the podium to the recipients. Accordingly, this paper first scrutinizes the theory of social semiotics. In this context, the place of the subject, object, and the discourse are examined. Then the obtained data is used for the analysis of situations in the show.