Platform Shoes and Fashion

The purpose of this research is to examine platform shoes as a fashion trend. The plan of the research will be to set forth the status of research on the trend in general terms, specifically with reference to the history of platform shoes in the modern period (i.e., the midtwentieth century), as well as with reference to the current state of insight into the phenomenon at the present time.

It is common knowledge that, in 1992, much has been made of the fact that the platform shoe has made a comeback. Consider the fact that in 1992 Charles Jourdan, a French designer, has made it a feature of his women's line and by so doing has affected manufacturing modes in the shoe business (Furman 1992). Additionally, Schwartz and Benjamin, Inc., has offered the platform accessory as an important part of its product line in 1992 (Infanto, February 1992). The trend appears to have begun in late 1991, with the fall collections, which announced new models of platform shoes as a significant statement (Infanto, October 1991), in accordance with Summer 1991 predictions that the principal footwear statement of the 91-92 fall season would be what was described as the reentry of women's platform shoes (Infanto, July 12, 1991).

From a fashion-trend perspective, what is most significant about the appearance of platform shoes in the women's fall collections for 91-92 is the fact that they hark back to an earlier contemporary period, the 1970s, when platforms were also popular. Indeed, platforms ha

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MDUL�because�MDNM� it is a quotation) from earlier eras, is also a decisive influence on the current, advance fashion scene. As Lacher and Quintanilla put it, "These days, yesterday's anti-fashion is again all the rage" (1992). One important point has to be made with respect to just how advanced the platform fashion is. Based on Lacher and Quintanilla's analysis of the extraordinary influence of the rock-music environment on a whole range of fashion and style choices in the current period, the flimsy merchandising basis for the trend has to be taken into account: �LS1��IP5,5�Merchandising a rock image can be risky business, however. Michael Jackson licensed his line of clothes when "Thriller" came out, but "when the clothes hit the stores, it was a loser," says Alan Millstein, editor and publisher of the Fashion Network Report. "None of the rock music people have had staying power on the shelf, partly because of the boredom of the audience" (Lacher and Quintanilla 1992). �IP5,0� �LS2�The fact that platform reentry has maintained itself from summer 1991 through fall 1992 suggests that its place in the current fashion cycle is relatively safe for the time being. But it is at this point that the fashion cycle for the trend needs t

Category: Psychology - P