Articles & Essays
A selection of peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and critical essays exploring the boundaries of fashion anthropology.
[ Filter by: Designers & Italian Identity / Transcultural Landscape / Theory, Ethics & Animality / Curatorship & Media / Miscellaneous ]
Heritage & Designers, Italian Identity
A profound exploration of the 'Made in Italy' phenomenon, treated not merely as a commercial label but as a sophisticated cultural industry. These contributions examine the historical evolution of Italian fashion, the pivotal role of Milan as a global hub, and the legacies of iconic designers. Through the study of archives and material culture, Simona Segre-Reinach deciphers how Italian identity is constructed, preserved, and communicated to the world."
‘Made in Italy and Double Vintage’ in C. Evans e A. Vaccari Time in Fashion, Bloomsbury, London New York 2020. [PDF]
‘Dall’alta moda allo street style: casi e tendenze’ in L’Italia e le sue Regioni, Treccani 2015. [PDF]
‘L’identità della moda italiana. Evoluzione di un’industria culturale’ in P. Bertola e V. Linfante (eds) Nuovo Vocabolario della moda italiana, Mandragora, Firenze 2015. [PDF]
‘The Italian Fashion Revolution in S. Stanfill (ed.) Milan' in The Glamour of Italian Fashion, V& A Publications, London 2013. [PDF]
‘Italian fashion. Metamorphosis of a Cultural Industry’ in Grace Lee Maffei and Kjetil Fallan (eds.), Rethinking Italian Design, Berg, Oxford 2013. [PDF]
‘Paparazzi' and ‘Travel' Entries in Gucci The Making Of, Rizzoli International, New York 2011.
‘L'identità della moda italiana' in Conquiste del Lavoro, n. 733, 2011.
‘Moda e Identità nazionale' in Clara Goria e Andrea Merlotti (eds.) Moda in Italia 150 anni di eleganza, Condé Nast, Milano 2011. [PDF]
‘Moda italiana e Made in Italy: un percorso dai primi del Novecento a oggi' in A. Bucci, V. Codeluppi, M. Ferraresi (eds) Made in Italy, Natura, Settori e Problemi, Carocci, Milano 2011.
‘If you Speak Fashion, you speak Italian. Notes on present day Italian Fashion Identity' in Critical Studies on Fashion and Beauty, 1/2010. [PDF]
‘Milan as a fashion city', in Berg Encyclopaedia of Dress and Fashion: Western Europe, Joanne B. Eicher (ed.), Berg, Oxford 2010. [PDF]
‘Made in Italy in Motion' in Fiber online Journal of the International Fashion and Apparel Industry, January 2010.
‘La moda nella cultura italiana' in Storia della Cultura Italiana, progetto e direzione scientifica di Luigi Luca Cavalli Sforza, direzione editoriale Vittorio Bo, vol. 5, U. Volli e C. Petrini (eds.), Utet Grandi Opere, Torino 2010. (Italian) [PDF]
‘La moda nella comunicazione dell'attrattività di Milano', in Brand Milano, Stefano Rolando (ed.), Franco Angeli, Milano 2008.
‘I trend della moda' in Moda oggi tra lusso e low cost, Ampelio Bucci, Vanni Codeluppi, Mauro Feraresi (eds.), Arcipelago Edizioni, Milano.
‘Stereotipi e cultura della moda', in Visioni di moda, Antonella Mascio (ed.), Franco Angeli, Milano 2008.
'Uno studio esplorativo sulle aziende di pronta moda italiano. Modelli di business e posizionamenti strategici a confronto', Iulm Working paper (with S. Ironico) (2007). [PDF]
‘Milan, the city of prêt à porter” in C. Breward, D. Gilbert (eds.), in Fashion's World Cities, Berg, Oxford 2006. [PDF]
‘Romeo Gigli', The Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, Valerie Steele (ed.), Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 2004.
‘Fontana Sisters' The Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, Valerie Steele (ed.), Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 2004.
‘Fendi' The Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, Valerie Steele (ed.), Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 2004.
‘Dolce & Gabbana' The Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, Valerie Steele (ed.), Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 2004.
‘Roberto Capucci' The Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, Valerie Steele (ed.), Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 2004.
'Tradurre la marca Italia, Mode in Italy' in Il dolce tuono, Marco Lombardi (ed.), Franco Angeli, Milano 2000 (2010)
Transcultural Landscapes: Global Networks, mainland China & Taiwan
‘Taiwan in Italy: Cultural Mediation, Validation and Self-Actualization in the Global Fashion System’ in Fashion Theory, 30, 2026. [PDF]
‘Fashioning Teresa Teng: Chinese Chronologies from Nostalgia to Vintage’, JAPPC Journal of Asian Pacific Sub-Cultures, 6, 2, 2021. [PDF]
'Critical Studies in Global Fashion'. ZoneModa Journal, 9(2), V-XVI. Ling, W., Lorusso, M., & Segre Reinach, S. (2019) [PDF]
‘Fashion-making and co-creation in the transglobal landscape: Sino-Italian fashion as method in Modern Italy 24/2019.
‘One Fashion, Two Nations. Italian Chinese Collaborations’ in L. Rofel e S. Yanagisako Fabricating Transnational Capitalism, Duke, Durham 2019. [PDF]
‘Romeo Gigli Reborn in Cina?’ in W. Ling and S. Segre Reinach (eds) Fashion in Multiple Chinas. Chinese Style in the Transglobal Fashion., London & New York, I.B. Tauris/Bloomsbury.
‘Chinese Fashion in the Making: essays, Books and Films’ in International Journal of Fashion Studies, 2, 2, 2015.
‘The puzzle of fashion distinction in China' in Fashion Media, Djurdja Bartlett and Agnès Rocamora (eds), Berg, Oxford 2013.
'Fashion film, blogs and e-commerce, the puzzle of fashion distinction in China', Bloomsbury 2013, in Fashion Media Past and Present Edited by D. Bartlett, S.Colle, A. Rocamora
‘The Identity of Fashion in Contemporary China and The New Relationships with the West' in Fashion Practice 4, 1 2012. [PDF]
‘La nuova moda cinese tra arte, commercio e stato', in C. Giorcelli (ed.) Abito e Identità, vol. X, Ila-Palma, Roma 2010.
‘Italian and Chinese agendas in the global fashion industry', in Giorgio Riello and Peter McNeil (eds.) The Fashion History Reader: Global Perspectives, Routledge, London New York 2010. [PDF]
‘The Nineteenth-Century City and the Empire of Fashion' in Chris Breward, Global Design History, Routledge, London 2010.
‘Fashion and National Identity: Interactions Between Italians and Chinese in the Global Fashion Industry' in Business and Economic History On-Line 2009 - [PDF]
‘China and Italy. Fast Fashion vs Pret à Porter. Towards a new Culture of Fashion' in Fashion Theory, 9, 1, 2005. [PDF]
‘Cina e Italia. Considerazioni sulla nuova cultura della moda' in Sociologia del lavoro, 93, 2004.
This section brings together over two decades of fieldwork and theoretical inquiry into the shifting geography of the fashion system. Focusing on the complex relationships between Italy, mainland China, and Taiwan, these works challenge Eurocentric narratives by investigating how identity, production, and cultural mediation interweave in a transglobal landscape. From early studies on fast fashion to recent ethnographies of collaborative co-creation, this research documents the rise of a new global fashion order.
Theory, Ethics & The Natural World
This section maps the evolution of Simona Segre-Reinach’s research, from its foundational theoretical core to its most recent ethical frontiers. Here, fashion is analyzed as a fundamental social practice and a language of the body—a rigorous framework exploring the sacred, the sociological, and the roots of identity formation. This inquiry now extends into the urgent ecological dimensions of the fashion system, focusing on 'animality,' sustainability, and activism. By challenging the traditional boundaries between humans and nature, these works advocate for a 'gentle' approach to dressing and a more conscious, respectful relationship with the natural world.
‘La moda cambia. Forme del Fashion Activism’ in R. Paltrinieri e F. Spampinato (eds.), Arti come Agency, Franco Angeli 2024. [PDF]
‘Couture. Prêt-à-Porter, Fast Fashion since 1945 in C. Breward, B. Lemire and G. Riello (eds.), The Cambridge Global History of Fashion, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2023. [PDF]
‘Moda, diritti animali e wishful thinking. Una conversazione tra Alessandra Vaccari e Simona Segre-Reinach’, Animot n. 14 (2023): Diritti e visioni. Animali non umani e diritto. [PDF]
'Ethnicity', A Cultural History of Dress and Fashion in the Modern Age, edited by Alexandra Palmer [PDF]
‘Imitazione, Invenzione, Metamorfosi’, in S. Segre Reinach, (ed.) L’immaginario animale nella moda, Roma, Drago 2017.
‘Four Models of Fashion Relationships in L. Welters and A. Lillethun The fashion Reader, Berg, Oxford 2011. [PDF]
‘National Identities and International Recognition' in Fashion Theory, 15, 2, 2011. [PDF]
‘Pets and the City' in DIID Disegno Industriale Industrial Design, 2010. [PDF]
‘The Nineteenth-Century City and the Empire of Fashion' in Chris Breward, Global Design History, Routledge, London 2010.
‘Copiare, imitare, ispirarsi. Geografia e creatività nella moda' in E. Mora (ed.) Geografie della moda, Franco Angeli, Milano 2010.
‘La moda globale', in XXI Secolo, T. Gregory (ed.) Enciclopedia Treccani, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana fondata da Giovanni Treccani, Roma 2009. [PDF]
‘What a deformed thief fashion is', Domus 924, Fashion/Design Special Milan Furniture Fair 2009.
‘I trend della moda' in Moda oggi tra lusso e low cost, Ampelio Bucci, Vanni Codeluppi, Mauro Feraresi (eds.), Arcipelago Edizioni, Milano.
‘Stereotipi e cultura della moda', in Visioni di moda, Antonella Mascio (ed.), Franco Angeli, Milano 2008.
‘La Moda' in Umberto Eco (ed.) Historia, La grande storia della civiltà europea, Federico Motta Editore, Milano 2007. [PDF]
‘Le pratiche del consumo di moda' in T. Gregory (ed.) Enciclopedia Italiana Treccani, Treccani, Roma 2005. [PDF]
‘Estetica dell'etica: vestire il sacro' in Bernardo Valli, Benedetta Barzini, Patrizia Calefato (eds.), Discipline della moda, Liguori Editore Napoli 2003.
‘Fashioning the Church' in Fashion Theory. The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture,7, 2, 2003. [PDF]
‘Dalla moda moderna alla moda contemporanea. Teorie sociologiche e strategie aziendali'. Corso di Sociologia della moda. Anno Accademico 2000/2001. Cooperativa Libraria I.U.L.M.
‘Dalla merceria al personal shopper: centralità del servizio nel settore dell'abbigliamento' in Micro& Macro Marketing 2, Milano 1996.
‘Tendenze evolutive' in Dossier Mondo della Moda, Mark Up, Quasar Editore, Milano 1995.
‘Moda e gusto negli anni Novanta' in Micro & Macro Marketing 3, Milano 1994.
‘Il consumatore negli anni Novanta' in Roberto Grandi (ed.), WP Stories, Dieci Anni fuori Moda, Lupetti, Milano 1992.
Curatorship, Exhibition Catalogues & Narratives Practices
‘Volare alto’ in S. Gnoli (ed.) Rara Avis. Moda in volo, Marsilio, Venezia 2024. [PDF]
Quando la Cina non inquina', Il Foglio della moda, 28 aprile 2021. [PDF]
‘Decostruire la Madre Appunti intorno a due fashion film: Franca. Chaos And Creation (2016) di Francesco Carrozzini e La scomparsa di mia madre (2019) di Beniamino Barrese’ in ZoneModa Journal, 2020. [PDF]
‘La città globale’ (with Ines Tolic) in Aisu International 2020. [PDF]
‘Il consumo delle immagini’ in G. Ceppi Scollamenti temporali, Magonza, Milano 2018 [PDF]
‘Fashion Museums and Fashion Exhibitions in Italy’ in H. Clark e A. Vanska (eds.) Fashion Curation. Critical Practice in the Museum and Beyond, Bloomsbury, London and New York, 2018. [PDF]
‘On fashion curating as an educational project— Simona Segre-Reinach in Conversation with José Teunissen in L. Marchetti Fashion Curating. La mode exposèe, Head, Genève 2016. [PDF]
‘Un guardaroba leggendario’ in L. Aversano e J. Pellegrini (eds.) Mille e una Callas, Quodlibet Milano 2016. [PDF]
‘Comunicare la moda e comunicare con la moda' in Professione PR Immagine e Comunicazione nell'Archivio Vitti a cura di Elena Puccinelli, Skirà, Milano 2011. [PDF]
'Putting It Together' in Walter Albini and His Time M.L. Frisa e S. Tonchi (eds.), Marsilio, Venezia 2010. [PDF]
‘The material speaks for itself' in Fashion’ in V. Steele Italian Style by Valerie Steele, and consulting to the exhibition at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) New York (11 February - 12 April 2003), Yale University Press, Yale and London 2003 .[PDF]
‘Stilisti viaggiatori’ in M.L. Frisa, G. Monti, S. Tonchi, Italiana, Marsilio, Venezia 2018. [PDF]
‘L’identità della moda italiana. Evoluzione di un’industria culturale’ in P. Bertola e V. Linfante (eds) Nuovo Vocabolario della moda italiana, Mandragora, Firenze 2015. [PDF]
"Fashion is a visual and performative narrative. This category explores the intersection of academic research with curatorial practice, cinema, and media storytelling. These writings reflect on the methodology of exhibiting fashion in international museums and its representation in film and photography, demonstrating how scholarly inquiry can be translated into immersive public experiences and cultural critiques."
Miscellaeous
'Bonotto. Elogio della lentezza’ in Mestieri d’Arte e Design’, 23/2021. [PDF]
‘Bevilacqua. Telai d’Autore’ in Mestieri d’Arte e Design 22/2021. [PDF]
‘Attivare gli scambi’ in Marie Claire 20/9/2016. [PDF]
'From Head to Toe: The Whole Body and Body Parts' in Zone Moda Journal Issue 1. Morphing. [PDF]
‘What a deformed thief fashion is', Domus 924, Fashion/Design Special Milan Furniture Fair 2009.
‘Habit is second nature, or rather, ten times nature', Domus 924, Fashion/Design Special Milan Furniture Fair 2009.
‘Ballantyne Scotland. ‘The place is fundamental' in 100% Cashemere, Ballantyne Editore 2003.
'La grande Madre', Ballantyne Cashmere, Ballantyne Editore 2003.