How to wear utopia: A dress manual for a convivial future
type: CreativeWork
description: This research explores utopian dress as a theoretical concept and artistic and curatorial practice, using dress as a tool for imagining alternative futures. Situated at the intersection of visual art practice, dress and utopia, the thesis adopts utopia as a method to foster reflexive engagement, creating a dialogue between theory and practice. Within this framework, dress becomes a medium that connects utopian ideals with human aspirations and dreams, transforming abstract concepts into tangible, embodied experiences. This interdisciplinary crossover is what I define as utopian dress. Utopia, in this context, is understood as a form of social dreaming, inviting imaginative exploration of future possibilities without prescribing a singular path. Central to this inquiry is the question of how notions of commonality and conviviality might manifest in dress practice, offering an alternative to the individualistic and hierarchical paradigms that dominate present society and clothing. The research asks whether a utopian approach to dress could offer new ways of thinking about the body, society and the role of clothing in fostering commonalities. The thesis is structured into two complementary parts reflecting the research process: firstly, a theoretical and historical examination of utopian thought, and secondly, a practice-based investigation focusing on curatorial practice and art-based research. This dual approach allows for a broader exploration of the subject from multiple perspectives – both subjectively and emotionally through visual art practice, and more objectively as a historian and curator. The investigation draws upon the theory and history of utopian dress outlined above, focusing on three art and design movements: Russian Constructivism, Neoconcretism in Brazil and Radical Italian Design of the 1960s and 1970s. The study also examines workwear, historically regarded as the most prominent form of utopian dress, both as a functional tool and as a symbol of ut…
abstract: This research explores utopian dress as a theoretical concept and artistic and curatorial practice, using dress as a tool for imagining alternative futures. Situated at the intersection of visual art practice, dress and utopia, the thesis adopts utopia as a method to foster reflexive engagement, creating a dialogue between theory and practice. Within this framework, dress becomes a medium that connects utopian ideals with human aspirations and dreams, transforming abstract concepts into tangible, embodied experiences. This interdisciplinary crossover is what I define as utopian dress. Utopia, in this context, is understood as a form of social dreaming, inviting imaginative exploration of future possibilities without prescribing a singular path. Central to this inquiry is the question of how notions of commonality and conviviality might manifest in dress practice, offering an alternative to the individualistic and hierarchical paradigms that dominate present society and clothing. The research asks whether a utopian approach to dress could offer new ways of thinking about the body, society and the role of clothing in fostering commonalities. The thesis is structured into two complementary parts reflecting the research process: firstly, a theoretical and historical examination of utopian thought, and secondly, a practice-based investigation focusing on curatorial practice and art-based research. This dual approach allows for a broader exploration of the subject from multiple perspectives – both subjectively and emotionally through visual art practice, and more objectively as a historian and curator. The investigation draws upon the theory and history of utopian dress outlined above, focusing on three art and design movements: Russian Constructivism, Neoconcretism in Brazil and Radical Italian Design of the 1960s and 1970s. The study also examines workwear, historically regarded as the most prominent form of utopian dress, both as a functional tool and as a symbol of ut…
author: Begic, Eldina
language: en
keywords: Fashion History & Theory
identifier: Begic, Eldina <https://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/view/creators/Begic=3AEldina=3A=3A.html> (2025) How to wear utopia: A dress manual for a convivial future. PhD thesis, University of the Arts London.
date published: 2025-07
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:00:53Z
provider: University of the Arts London
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of the Arts London