Maria Luisa Frisa's 'Le forme della moda' Updated for Post-Pandemic Fashion

Maria Luisa Frisa (Venezia, 1953) has released a substantially rewritten second edition of her book 'Le forme della moda' (Il Mulino, Bologna 2022), first published in 2015. The new edition addresses how the fashion system has transformed in recent years, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key changes include shifts in marketing and communication, the rise of no-gender products, the evolving role of creative directors, the disappearance of editorial directors (now head of content for complex platforms), and fashion's expansion into the metaverse. Frisa discusses the complementarity of real and virtual experiences, citing Balenciaga's collaboration with Fortnite as an example. She also covers sustainability, gender fluidity, and the need for new educational synergies between public universities and the production system. The book reflects on the fragility exposed by the war in Ukraine and questions the current definition of luxury. Frisa emphasizes that fashion must be aware of its responsibilities as both a cultural and economic driver.