Fancy an excuse to go to Manchester or Cleveland, Ohio next year? The Costume Society (UK) and Costume Society of America are both calling for papers for their conferences next year. (Both CFPs close 16 October.)
The CSA theme, Dress as Communication, Self-Expression and Identity, CSA invites submissions of original research which may include topics related to the symposium theme in all its forms, but is not limited to these:
- Branding
- Communication of character in performance, including historical re-enactors and/or theatrical performance
- Communication of ethnic or national identity through dress
- Communication of social status via dress in all time periods
- Clothing as an expression of self
You would need to join CSA on submission, but further details are on their website at http://www.costumesocietyamerica.com/natsym.htm,
Meanwhile, the UK’s Costume Society’s theme is Fashion and Democracy, welcoming papers “which interpret the theme imaginatively through different approaches and issues, drawing on interdisciplinary research based on garments and accessories, jewellery, photography, film, literature, and archives.
Subjects might fall within some of the following headings:
• The impact of technology
• The use of dress to communicate political affiliation and resistance
• Non-elite fashion and consumer demand
• Street style
• The fashion press and fashion in film
For details: http://costumesociety.org.uk/conference