Glamour

The aesthetic experience is varied and captures a range of moods and emotions. It may be the subtle response to an object such as the quiet appreciation of its beauty, or a strong desire for the object because it attracts and fascinates; we want to own it, emulate it, or be absorbed by it. The value of such an object may be beyond our reach yet we are still captivated by it. This adds a quality of the unobtainable and enhances its appeal, and so it becomes glamorous.

The prevalence of glamour in society has increased in the past few years due to the rapid growth of social media. Various platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter provide a daily source of fashion news and promotion from thousands of individuals and brands across the world. Many of these brands also sell online from the small one-person business to the global luxury brand.

Fashion and Glamour

Glamour usually elevates the wearing of fashion to an unrealised possibility for most people. It does this through its elements, such as exclusivity, beautiful locations and models, styling and photography. To appeal to most people, it still operates on a “human scale, in the everyday, inviting just enough familiarity to engage the imagination, a glimpse of another life, utopia as a tactile presence”.

In the business of high fashion, the aim is to create a world of glamorous objects and spaces. Designer labels create environments that exude glamour because each detail is designed without compromise in order to associate the brand with quality and luxury.

Glamour is also seen in personalities such as actors, models and other famous people. Since the first haute couture houses opened in Paris in the late 19th century, the glamorous person has been associated with high fashion. They bring a combination of looks, sex appeal and charisma.