Fashion That Not Exists: In Search of the Southern Urals Identity in the History of Regional Fashion

Abstract

The article explores the issue of identifying Russian fashion, which arises in the context of the departure of large international brands from the market. The current situation demonstrates that few Russian brands can effectively engage with their audience using successful marketing strategies, such as brand uniqueness, identity, and storytelling. To investigate the «cultural code» of the South Ural region from 1920 to 2020, the author seeks to answer the question of why the cultural code of fashion in the South Urals is so difficult to develop today. As a source of information, the author draws upon the history of industrial development in the specified period, as well as interviews with industry leaders and participants. The article examines how changes in production and consumer preferences have contributed to the emergence or disappearance of cultural codes of fashion in the South Ural region. A significant aspect of the work is the reflection on how, in the past 30 years, with the advent of the mass market and the integration of the European fashion system into the country, the cultural code was overwritten, and the local fashion brands were erased. The author concludes that the integration of the European fashion system has been minimal and has not encompassed the historical and semantic context of the region. Consequently, local fashion brands, with their limited presence, are unable to effectively promote their products. The author believes that the issue of the cultural code of the region remains significant and requires a fresh approach, based on an analysis of its own history and the uniqueness of the region.