Sanda Miller discusses how the fashion magazine and the concept of taste originated in 18^th century Paris. The ‘Age of Enlightenment’ built the philosophy of aesthetics and the emergence of the Salons introduced art to a wider audience which established the ‘art critic’. The development of these two areas is argued to have changed how society collectively viewed beauty and style which has developed into the modern age.

For me the most significant aspects were how the concept of taste originated and how it was adapted into society. Through the Enlightenment European philosophers helped stimulate the idea of individual liberty which branched into freedom of press and freedom of expression.  This therefore instigates that the development of freedom of expression within society, helped postulate the notion to express one’s opinion creatively. Miller states that at the time the British Empiricist philosophers helped create a foundation to shift from more subjective appreciation responses “by postulating a special faculty -taste- which provided a rational basis on which such response could be regarded as universal” (Barlett, Cole & Rocamora 2013). I agree with this statement as it is evident that the concept of taste was then integrated into society through the introduction of the Salons in the 17^th Century and then having an increased regularity from 1737. This increase of the Salons can be explained by the more developed idea of a universal response – with the emergence of the art critic – towards art and beauty which inspired more people from different educational backgrounds to go to these shows and be exposed to art on a more regular basis than previously seen in history.

From the Salons came the art critic. When the art critic came about they were seen to have a “delicacy of the imagination” (Barlett, Cole & Rocamora 2013) and “must preserve his mind free from all prejudice” (Barlett, Cole & Rocamora 2013). Miller states that “even the critical criteria of such a privileged person could be disqualified on empirical grounds such as insensibility, prejudice or lack of experience” (Barlett, Cole & Rocamora 2013). This idea that the rich and wealthy are not fully qualified to define taste and dictate what is tasteful is backed up by “you can dress head to toe in Gucci if you like – that proves you’re rich, but it doesn’t prove you have taste” (Tungate 2005), this quote illustrates the idea that even if you can afford luxury it doesn’t mean that everything you buy or how you compose it together is evidence of taste, and that it can be seen as distasteful.

The concept of taste also expanded into fashion magazines, with the most notorious being “Courrier de la mode ou le Journal de gout” which was a new type of fashion journal to have a “centrality of the concept of taste” (Barlett, Cole & Rocamora 2013). Miller argues that from these fashion magazines “readership were told how to dress, how to furnish their elegant interiors and how to entertain” (Barlett, Cole & Rocamora 2013) therefore creating “the beginning of what is now referred to as ‘life and style’” (Barlett, Cole & Rocamora 2013). However, I don’t fully agree with the statement fully in terms of how impactful the emergence of “life and style” was on the overall population and even the rich specifically as well. This idea stems from Elizabeth Wilsons’ statement that “at least until the French Revolution (1789) dress continued to be a courtly affair, and rank continued to dictate styles of dress to a large extent from the 14^th century to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution” (Wilson 1985). Wilsons’ statement informs that the concept of taste within fashion still wasn’t fully integrated until the more modern age, with the rich mainly following trends rather than exploring their own tastes which is seen more in the art scene with the development of the art critic.

Having analysed Millers arguments and statements about the emergence of the concept of taste I now realise how impactful it was on society and how the philosophers during the Enlightenment period integrating this new concept into society through the Salons and then lightly through fashion magazines and how it paved the way for the modern fashion world which relies heavily on taste and individuality within that construct. I have however been able to see how Miller wasn’t entirely accurate about the concepts immediate impact within fashion through fashion magazines by reading Wilson’s work. From this I understand that the relationship between fashion and taste is a more modern one than previously I thought. As a next step I need to improve my ability to see what is tasteful within my work and how I view fashion as a whole to advance my abilities as a practitioner.

References:

Barlett, Cole & Rocamora (e.d) (2013) “Fashion Media: Past and Present”, London: Bloomsbury

Elizabeth Wilson (1985) “Adorned in Dreams: Fashion and Moderity”, London: Virago Press Ltd

Mark Tungate (2005) “Fashion Brands”, London and USA: Kogan Page Limited