Romans on the Runway: Classical Reception in Contemporary High Fashion

Romans on the Runway explores how contemporary high fashion brands and designers have integrated the Classical Greek and Roman world into their collections over the last decade. This project investigates how these collections utilize not only the visual forms of ancient material culture, but also the sociological, political, and cultural meaning of classicizing dress in contemporary fashion. I explore how contemporary fashion incorporates references to the ancient past that are mediated through the lens of classical reception, especially neoclassical dress from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. I approach this project through an art historical lens that draws heavily from fashion theory and receptions studies, while also engaging with aspects of gender, race, class, and identity. This project draws from recent scholarship in both Classics and Costume Studies and provides a new framework for exploring a topic that has not been thoroughly investigated in nearly two decades.Bachelor of Art