Maria Luisa Frisa's 'Il corpo alla moda' Explores Mannequins and Identity
In her new book 'Il corpo alla moda', fashion theorist and curator Maria Luisa Frisa examines the role of mannequins in constructing identity. The mannequin is not a neutral support but an abstract body that makes clothing visible, suspended between life and imitation. Frisa recalls a shop window in Florence displaying a Stockman piece, seeing in it art, fashion, and personal history. She describes the window as a 'metaphysical piazza of fashion', echoing Giorgio de Chirico's enigmatic figures. The book traces the transition from the tailor's mannequin to the model's body, which must disappear to let the garment speak. Roland Barthes is cited: the body must signify the garment, not itself. On red carpets, celebrities inhabit clothing differently, imprinting their personality. Frisa also highlights the hidden bodies in ateliers—tailors, seamstresses, clients—whose labor shapes fashion. The book, published by Einaudi, concludes that fashion traverses bodies, adapting and rewriting them.
Key facts
- Maria Luisa Frisa is the author of 'Il corpo alla moda'.
- The book explores the relationship between clothing, mannequins, and identity.
- Frisa references a shop window in Florence displaying a Stockman piece.
- She calls the window a 'metaphysical piazza of fashion'.
- Giorgio de Chirico's metaphysical paintings are invoked.
- Roland Barthes is cited on the body signifying the garment.
- The book discusses models as 'controlled incarnations' of the mannequin.
- Emily Ratajkowski is quoted describing her work as 'playing the mannequin'.
- Red carpet celebrities are contrasted with models for their personal engagement with clothing.
- The atelier of the 1950s is examined, with tailors and seamstresses as key bodies.
- The book is published by Einaudi.
- The article is written by Annarita Genova for Artribune.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Artribune
- Einaudi
Locations
- Florence
- Italy