Fascist Fashion in Italy
After the First World War, Italy’s economy was ruined. Many Italians were unemployed or in debt, and Mussolini, the leader of the National Fascist Party, promised to restore law, order, and pride to Italy. In 1922, Italy became a fascist state. Fascism, according to Mussolini, “conceives of the States as an absolute, in comparison to with which all individuals or groups are relative, only to be conceived in relation to the State.” Therefore, fashion was no longer an individual form of self-expression. Fashion, like everything else, was in relation to the government, with the sole goal of making the state more absolute.
Fashion played an important role in Italy’s propaganda because it could be completely controlled through magazines, advertisements, designers, and the textile industry. Mussolini hated how Paris was the fashion capital of the west. He wanted Italy to be self-sufficient, with its own, individual trends and fashion houses. He didn’t want Italians to rely on any country except their own, even for things like fashion. Mussolini popularized Italian fashion houses so that Italians would not be exposed to French or British fashions. He wanted complete control over all of the information that Italians saw- even advertisements seemingly unrelated to politics.
After World War One, women’s clothing became less formal and restricting. Women began to wear shorter, looser, dresses. Pants gained popularity in women’s fashion. Fascism is all about control, about emulating older, more rigid, societies- in this case ancient Rome. So, Mussolini didn’t like the idea of women gaining freedom by moving away from traditional ideals. Mussolini launched propaganda campaigns showing the traditional woman as the ideal woman. He began with “La Nuova Italiana,” the New Italian Woman. In “La Nuova Italiana,” the ideal Italian woman was portrayed as “glamorous, sophisticated, and hyperfeminine.” Instead of wearing pants, she wore long, elegant gowns. Instead of going to work, she stayed home with her many children. While there is of course nothing wrong with either of these things, Mussolini was completely taking away the ability for women to choose how they wanted to live- a choice that women had just started to have. In rural areas, Mussolini launched the “Massaie Rurali,” or “ladies of the field,” propaganda campaign. Motherhood was promoted, and women were instructed to wear traditional peasant clothing. Women were even paid to have children so that Italy’s population would increase. Beyond specific campaigns, the Italian state also held a series of fashion shows. The shows, made up of entirely Italian designs, were then recorded and broadcasted around the country.
Mussolini tried to completely control the Italian state by uniting Italian identity. He wanted Italians to be as similar as possible, to be filled with pride for their country. It didn’t work. Northern and Southern Italians identified more with the regions they were from than with Italy as a whole. Mussolini’s plan to have everyone buy clothes made in Italy proved to be unsustainable. Italians continued to express themselves through their fashion choices. They continued to be individuals. In 1943, Mussolini was overthrown. The fascist regime fell soon after. The people of Italy were free to dress as they chose once again.
Resources:
https://pbc.gda.pl/dlibra/publication/116605/edition/104161/content?ref=struct
