Re-presentation Policies of the Fashion Industry

4Re-presentation as a Rewriting of Politics

In March 2019, the French government announced the “Sentinelle” operation mobilizing the national army with the intention of preserving public order and security during the Yellow Vest movement demonstrations. Numerous press titles published images publicizing these demonstrations and the damage caused by the so-called “troublemakers”. Others focused on the wounded and injured bodies of the demonstrators and the violent actions of law enforcement officials. The city of Paris and in particular its eighth arrondissement were transformed – according to the media productions circulating – into a battle space exposing, in particular, burnt cars, nebulae of smoke caused by tear gas bombs, masked and injured faces. A few months earlier, France had seen other protest movements, initiated by high school and university students, demonstrating and occupying schools and universities in order to oppose the “Parcoursup” law. These general assemblies and blockades of universities took place in the spring of 2018, 50 years after May 1968. At the same time, commemorative events, debates and symposiums, exhibitions and retrospectives devoted to May 1968 were found throughout France, while at the same time some social movements were either banned or criminalized. It was during this period that the Gucci brand advertising campaign entitled Gucci dans les rues appeared, reproducing images and street situations that occurred during the events of May 1968 ...