This course examines the historical and contemporary framing of the human form in Western culture, focusing specifically on the centrality of the body in the fashion systems of the past, present and future. Various theoretical approaches will examine the role and function of the body in relevant contexts from the marketing and imaging of bodies in the fashion industry, to a consideration of dress as a material form of cultural meaning and communication that is reliant on social norms and ideologies. Identity politics, intersectionality, decolonization and an appraisal of current issues with regard to the representation of the body in contemporary fashion media will also be considered. Lecture/Lab format.