Understanding Fashion Scandals: Social Media, Identity, and Globalisation, Annamari Vänskä and Olga Gurova

Understanding Fashion Scandals investigates how fashion’s flirtation with controversy has shifted from calculated provocation to perilous misstep in the social media age. Beginning with the deliberate “shock” campaigns of Calvin Klein and Benetton in the 1980s, the authors trace a trajectory through high-profile misfires—from Burberry and Dior to Dolce & Gabbana and Prada—showing how an era of brand-building outrage has given way to a climate where misjudgement can spell cancellation.

Through compelling case studies and incisive theoretical framing, Vänskä and Gurova explore scandals of cultural appropriation, racism, misogyny and fascist nods—and how brands now deploy strategies such as diversity officers, CSR, and political alignment to mitigate backlash. This is a timely, richly argued volume that situates fashion scandals not as sensationalism, but as pivotal flashpoints in debates around identity, power and cultural sustainability.

About the Author
Professor Annamari Vänskä (Aalto University) is a leading voice in fashion research, focusing on digital media, gender and identity. Her scholarship—including Fashionable Childhood and Fashion Curating—has shaped understanding of how online platforms influence fashion culture.

Dr Olga Gurova (Aalborg University) is a scholar of consumption studies, with notable works such as Fashion and the Consumer Revolution in Contemporary Russia. Her research explores ideology, everyday life and the ethical dimensions of dress.

Publication date: 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Visual Arts
Pages: 248
ISBN: 9781350248939