Fashion's crisis reflects a broader cultural shift from distinction to homogenization

Angelo Argento argues that the current crisis in fashion is not merely economic but represents the collapse of an outdated cultural model affecting all sectors of contemporary imagination, from art to design. He introduces the concept of "lussazione" (luxation), a dislocation of luxury from its symbolic role of distinction to a mechanism of uniformity driven by algorithmic performativity. Fashion has shifted from identity declaration to instant visibility, with objects valued for recognizability rather than singular quality. The relationship between fashion and art has become interchangeable, with museums turning into sets and galleries into showrooms. Argento identifies a paradoxical "regime of homologated distinction" where uniqueness is constructed through repetition. However, he sees emerging a desire to slow down and return to meaning, matter, and depth, proposing a revolution that relocates luxury to its natural seat and centers vision over visibility. The piece is published on Artribune.