{"product_id":"9781350059580","title":"Picturing the Woman-Child : Fashion, Feminism and the Female Gaze","description":"\u003cstrong\u003ePicturing the Woman-Child\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Morna Laing\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe childlike character of ideal femininity has long been critiqued by feminists, from Mary Wollstonecraft to Simone de Beauvoir. Yet, women continue to be represented as childlike in the western fashion media, despite the historical connotations of inferiority. This book questions why such images still hold appeal to contemporary women, after three, or even four, waves of feminism.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFocusing on the period of 1990–2015, \u003ci\u003ePicturing the Woman-Child\u003c\/i\u003e traces the evolution of childlike femininity in British fashion magazines, including \u003ci\u003eVogue\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ei-D\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eLula, Girl of my Dreams\u003c\/i\u003e. These images draw upon a network of references, from Kinderwhore and Lolita to Alice in Wonderland and the \u003ci\u003efemme-enfant\u003c\/i\u003e of Surrealism.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlongside analysis of fashion photography, the book presents the findings of original research into audience reception. Inviting contemporary women to comment on images of the 'woman-child' provides an insight into the meaning of this figure as well as an evaluation of theory on the 'female gaze'. Both scholarly and accessible, the book paves the way for future studies on how readers make sense of fashion imagery.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This fascinating book centres on a paradox in visual culture: why do contemporary messages of female empowerment sit alongside a proliferation of images of childlike femininities? Examining magazine fashion spreads over 25 years, \u003ci\u003ePicturing the Woman-Child \u003c\/i\u003eoffers a compelling analysis of four figures and the ways they are understood.” —\u003ci\u003eRosalind Gill, City, University of London, UK\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Morna Laing's nuanced and layered analysis of childlike femininities in fashion imagery is eye-opening. She weaves together a compelling theoretical, historical, and visual analysis, offering the reader a new perspective on and a deeper understanding of these pervasive cultural depictions of women.” —\u003ci\u003eJennifer Farley Gordon, independent researcher, writer and curator, USA\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781350059580\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Bloomsbury Visual Arts","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":40690211356878,"sku":"9781350059580","price":115.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_0b2ab99f-d4f2-4a20-a8f0-c064c6c24a21.jpg?v=1640405645","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781350059580","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}