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Celebrating diversity through fashion? A cultural analysis of Tommy Hilfiger online

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Date Issued:
2004
Summary:
Tommy Hilfiger is a popular fashion designer who incorporates a unique mix of style, patriotism and cultural diversity into the advertising and marketing of his products. But does his approach communicate true equality or divide Americans through race, class, and/or consumerism? Does his conceptualization of cultural diversity support ideals of multiculturalism or promote principles of assimilation? Tommy Hilfiger's official website, www.tommy.com, is analyzed from a cultural studies perspective to examine these questions. Political economic, cultural economic and semiotic theories are applied at the levels of production, text and consumption to reveal whether hegemonic or counter-hegemonic themes prevail. As a result, it is determined that hegemonic themes of white, Anglo-Americanism and consumerism do prevail, while counter-hegemonic messages of multiculturalism are less dominant. Findings also indicate that there is still much progress to be made in terms of achieving cultural equality in the United States.
Title: Celebrating diversity through fashion? A cultural analysis of Tommy Hilfiger online.
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Name(s): Taylor, Adam D.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Scodari, Christine, Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 2004
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 113 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Tommy Hilfiger is a popular fashion designer who incorporates a unique mix of style, patriotism and cultural diversity into the advertising and marketing of his products. But does his approach communicate true equality or divide Americans through race, class, and/or consumerism? Does his conceptualization of cultural diversity support ideals of multiculturalism or promote principles of assimilation? Tommy Hilfiger's official website, www.tommy.com, is analyzed from a cultural studies perspective to examine these questions. Political economic, cultural economic and semiotic theories are applied at the levels of production, text and consumption to reveal whether hegemonic or counter-hegemonic themes prevail. As a result, it is determined that hegemonic themes of white, Anglo-Americanism and consumerism do prevail, while counter-hegemonic messages of multiculturalism are less dominant. Findings also indicate that there is still much progress to be made in terms of achieving cultural equality in the United States.
Identifier: 9780496094936 (isbn), 13184 (digitool), FADT13184 (IID), fau:12639 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2004.
Subject(s): Fashion--Social aspects
Internet advertising
Internet marketing
Multiculturalism
Fashion--Psychological aspects
Clothing and dress--Marketing
Hilfiger, Tommy
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13184
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.