Modekulturer

Modekulturer is a term used in Scandinavian fashion studies to describe the diverse systems, practices and meanings that constitute fashion across societies. It treats fashion as a culturally embedded activity, not only as clothing, but as a set of codes, performances and institutions through which identities are negotiated and social hierarchies are expressed. The concept covers the production, distribution and consumption of apparel, as well as the symbolic and aesthetic dimensions of dress.

Key components include dressing practices and sartorial codes; fashion media, marketing and branding; retail infrastructures; and fashion events such as runways, exhibitions, and local markets. It also encompasses regional and subcultural styles, indigenous and ceremonial attire, and youth movements such as punk, goth, streetwear and hip-hop, each with distinct vocabularies of material culture.

Globalization has intensified exchanges among modekulturer, leading to hybridity, rapid trend cycles, and debates about sustainability, labor, and ethics. Digital platforms amplify visibility and alter how fashion is produced and consumed. Scholars approach modekulturer through anthropology, sociology, cultural studies and art history, using ethnography, discourse analysis and visual methods to examine identity, gender, class, ethnicity and power as they intersect with dress.

The study aims to illuminate fashion as a social practice with material consequences, rather than a purely aesthetic or commercial phenomenon. It highlights continuity and change across time and places, revealing how fashion cultures reflect and influence broader cultural dynamics.