Contemporary Fashion Model Of Cultural Aesthetic Perspective

In today's Consumerism Society abundant in commodities, "consuming" has nolonger been for the use value of the material, but changed into a systematical signoperation behavior, a certain kind of cultural behavior through which people couldgain their social identity. That is exactly the essence of Consumerism Culture. Fashionmodels, being controlled by capital and consumerism, are just the typical aestheticcarriers of the Consumerism Culture. This is the base point of this thesis. It is exactlytrue that although today's China has not completely entered into the Consumerism era,Consumerism, as an entire cultural context, has dominated Chinese culture. Based onthe indigenous cultural context of the Fashion Model, with a criticizing intention, thisthesis aims to analyze the Fashion Model Culture superficially and intrinsically fromthe two sides of both its construction and destruction to aesthetics, and tries tocorrelate pure aesthetics with the Fashion Model Culture.The first part of this thesis is about the definition of the essence of FashionModel Culture. It begins with a brief history of Fashion Model, and aims to revealfrom the historical view the relationship between the Fashion Model Culture andConsumerism. Then, based on M. Featherstone and Baudrillard's view, this paperanalyzes the essence of Consumerism Society and Consumerism Culture---it is thehistorical context of the boosting of the Fashion Model Culture, and then points outthe chief social role of fashion models in the Consumerism Society---luring theconsumption and leading the fashion.The second part of this thesis talks about the importance and value of FashionModel. Beginning with the view of "people is the subject of aesthetic judgment;andhe is also the object who could have the strongest aesthetic feeling", "perceptualaesthetic relationship is one big connotation between people", this thesis affirmscertainly that fashion models, as the typical version of body beauty, do have the valueof developing body liberation, promoting the aesthetic democratization, as well asmodeling to construct beautiful body in a natural way, meanwhile, broadening theaesthetics in practical fields.The third part of the thesis is an analysis and critique about the destruction byFashion Model Culture to the aesthetic humanism. It points out that the FashionModel is the personification of the Consumerism controlled and practiced by capital;Models are usually objectified, merchandised, tooled etc, gradually heading from theperceptual aesthetic form designed by Consumerism for a sign of perceptualstimulation and desire luring;and changing from the natural body till the lusting body,then, the commercial body. The same time when they are connecting their aestheticvalue and commercial purposes, they have oppressed and destructed natural spirits.Besides, the criterion reflected by models, is standardized by certain capital andcertain cultural classes. This is a new Cultural Hegemonism. Models, as well as thepeople, at a price of injuring their bodies, or say, in a new way of asceticism, arepursuing the visual standard of the so-called "body beauty", thus, leading to a wholecontext of body SADOMASOCHISM. To some extent, the physical beauty in FashionModel Culture, at a price of being fettered by the Culture Violence, is thecounteraction to human nature. The critique mainly emphasizes the three layers: theoppressing to spirits by SM Body and the tendency of SM Beauty led by the FashionModel Culture;the destruction of esthetic spirits by the lust stressing;and thestrengthening to the new inequality by the flaunting way of life.The fourth part is a deep thinking about the humanism construction. The mainpoint is strengthened here: Model Culture should not only demonstrate the man-madeSM Beauty, but should show the myriad variations of natural beauty, as well as carryforward the artistic beauty. The second, models, should not seduce the people only forthe commercial purpose in consuming, but meanwhile, they should carry forward theHumanism spirits as well.The conclusion part makes a thinking about the developing tendency togetherwith its relative regulations of Model Culture in today's China.