Mind Map for Research Link：
https://www.icloud.com/freeform/00dtYPqMrZlBo9EULQ8N2O6vw#change_in_subculture_fashion
Upcoming Reading List: Diving into Cultural Depths of Fashion
As I continue my journey into the layered world of fashion communication and visual storytelling, I’ve curated a list of upcoming reads that explore subculture, craftsmanship, brand philosophy, and the evolving role of designers as storytellers. These selected works not only inform, but inspire—each offering a different lens through which to understand fashion as both language and system.
1. Fashion Media: Past and Present
Author: Djurdja Bartlett, Shaun Cole, Agnès Rocamora
Access via: VLeBooks Academic Access (UAL Library)
Why It’s On My List:
This book provides a comprehensive analysis of how fashion media has evolved from traditional print magazines to today’s digital platforms. It breaks down how fashion imagery, celebrity culture, and new technologies converge in media, making it a critical foundation for my study on immersive and interactive communication.
Keywords: Fashion journalism, digital turn, media aesthetics, historical lens
2. In Conversation with Martine Rose
Publisher: LVR Magazine
Access via: LVR Interview
Why It’s On My List:
Martine Rose is one of the most exciting names redefining contemporary menswear. Her deep ties to subculture—from rave scenes to London streetwear—make her perspective vital in understanding how underground aesthetics can shape global fashion language.
What I’m Looking For:
Insights into how Martine Rose balances cultural authenticity with global relevance, and how personal storytelling becomes a tool for brand identity.
Keywords: Subculture, identity, menswear, London underground
3. The Legacy of Kapital: The Philosophy and Cultural Depth Behind the Cult Japanese Brand
Publisher: ArchivePDF
Access via: Read Article
Why It’s On My List:
Kapital is not just a brand—it’s a philosophy built on heritage craft, Americana influences, and Japanese visual storytelling. This piece explores Kapital’s roots in Okayama and its reinterpretation of denim as a cultural artifact.
What I’m Exploring:
How brands like Kapital communicate values through materials, techniques, and visual metaphors rather than words—something vital to my study of non-verbal fashion communication.
Keywords: Craftsmanship, denim philosophy, Americana x Japanese fusion
4. Yujiro Komatsu: The Journey to Create BLACKMEANS
Publisher: ArchivePDF
Access via: Read Article
Why It’s On My List:
BLACKMEANS is where punk, tribal codes, and artisanal leatherwork collide. Yujiro Komatsu’s journey offers insight into how DIY spirit and traditional craft can coexist, and how rebellion becomes a form of refined design language.
What I’ll Be Noting:
How BLACKMEANS visualizes subversion, and how this punk energy is translated into wearable sculpture. This article will help me decode how brands visually position themselves in a cultural continuum.
Keywords: Punk couture, Japanese leatherwork, rebellion aesthetics
What Unites These Reads?
All of these sources—books, interviews, essays—center around one theme: fashion as cultural narrative. Whether it’s through the lens of archival media analysis, conversations with designers, or deep dives into Japanese brand philosophy, I hope to uncover:
• How brands embed culture and storytelling into their DNA
• The tension between underground authenticity and commercial visibility
• The aesthetics of rebellion, identity, and craft
These texts will inform my upcoming research proposal on fashion communication, with a specific focus on immersive visual storytelling, cultural semiotics, and the emotional architecture of image-making.
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