Marília Rossetto Costa 07 April 2015

CSTMAR010
SOC1006F
Temba Meyer-Fels

Introduction

For Bourdieu the concept of habitus is intrinsically related to social

structures and a specific field. For him, the social concept of reality, exist
according to what is real in relation to those around us (Trigg, 2001). Based
on Bourdieu’s concepts of field, habitus, social capital and cultural capital, this
essay will discuss these ideas applied on the analyses of the London Fashion
Week, the ‘secret club’ of haut couture and the phenomenon of I’khothane.

Bourdieu’s concepts of field, social capital and cultural capital applied

in the analyses of the London Fashion Week

According to Bourdieu, habitus is the internal representation of external

structures, such as thoughts, beliefs, tastes, interests and the understanding
of the world around us (Trigg, 2001). For him, there are four types of species
capital, which are directly related to habitus and are fundamental to
understand the concept of field. Namely: social capital, cultural capital,
economic capital, and symbolic capital. In short, social capital is defined as
one’s circle of friends or groups; cultural capital, is the individual knowledge,
experiences and connections; economic capital, is the person’s earning
ability, property owned; and symbolic capital is the prestige, honor and
recognition of someone’s abilities or values (Trigg, 2001). Thus, these
different kinds of capital give base for the creation of vary lifestyles. In his
analyses, he refers as class structure, which is the dual role of capital, its
cultural and economic forms, creating Bourdieu’s framework (Trigg, 2001).
Therefore, society for Bourdieu is divided into different fields, each with
specific characteristics and with specific power structure according to the
particular field habitus and species capital (Trigg, 2001).
In the article ‘The field of fashion Materialized: A Study of London
Fashion Week’ by Entwistle & Rocamora, 2006, the authors examine the
fashion industry – specifically, London Fashion Week – and how its
boundaries, relational positions and how capital plays a significant role in this

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specific habitus’ field. According to Bourdieu and Delsaut (1975 as cited in

Entwistle & Rocamora, 2006): “the field of fashion is situated at an
intermediary position between the artistic field and the economic field”.
Entwistle & Rocamora make an explicit description of how this ‘fashion world’
works and what is necessary to be part of it. Based on Bourdieu’s theory, the
field of fashion is a cultural event for the elite to reproduce themselves, in
particular, the authors suggest that one of the main point of fashion shows is
to see and be seen (Entwistle & Rocamora, 2006). Thus, the position of the
seats is purposeful articulated in a way that the closest someone is seated to
the catwalk the more visible this person is, which is translated into power. As
described by Entwistle & Rocamora, 2006: “This position on the front row
renders their power and influence visible to everyone in the auditorium”.
Habitus and social capital are directly related to each other, in other words, it
is important to have the ability to articulate using “appropriate fashion habitus”
(Entwistle & Rocamora, 2006) in order to transmit the sense of belonging to
this particular group. Entwistle & Rocamora, 2006, emphasizes that it is not
only through clothing but also mannerisms, the ‘air kiss’ described by them, is
a particular characteristic of greeting in the fashion field. According to the
authors: “the air kiss requires a bodily proximity that signifies proximity
between players in the field and, therefore, belonging and membership. In
other words, it is a performativity gesture that renders visible otherwise
abstract field relations and positions, and, in the process, enact and
reproduces one’s social capital”. Therefore, the way people act/perform is an
important part of this field. Critically important is also cultural capital, which
involves knowing the history of fashion, the new designers and up coming
styles, and some academic titles from highly acclaimed institutions in this field
(Entwistle & Rocamora, 2006). Nevertheless, cultural capital in the fashion
field, specially London Fashion Week, it is entirely related to economic capital,
as observed by Entwistle & Rocamora, 2006: “However, significant for the
reproduction of one’s position in the field (and performance at events such as
LFW) are the objectified forms of cultural capital in the guise of clothes and
accessories from fashionable and exclusive brands, all highly dependent on
one’s economic capital”.

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Marília Rossetto Costa 07 April 2015
CSTMAR010
SOC1006F
Temba Meyer-Fels

The ‘secret club’ of haute couture

A great example on Bourdieu’s analyses of the combination of cultural

capital and economic capital, can be seen on the consumption of Haute
couture garments by elite women. On the article, ‘Fields of Fashion: Critical
insights into Bourdieu’s sociology of culture’ by Agnès Rocamora, 2002, she
quotes: “Haute couture, for instance, is used by the bourgeoisie as a means
of asserting its difference from pretenders, that is, petit-bourgeoisie. It
‘provides the dominant class with the symbolic signs of “class” which are, as
one says, de rigueur in all exclusive ceremonies of the bourgeoisie’s self-
worship, which is the celebration of its own distinction’ ” (Bourdieu, 1975 as
cited in Rocamora, 2002). In other words, the search for distinction is a
constant in the field of consumption.
‘The secret world of Haute Couture’ is a documentary made by BBC in
2007, which aims to show inside the life of a few elite women and their ‘secret
club’ of around 200 members, who purchase haute couture garments showed
on the runway, or versions custom-made for them. For a better
understanding, haute couture is a kind of fashion that is made by hand from
beginning to end in Paris (BBC, 2007). Everything used on it is high quality
and expensive, and in addition, haute couture clothes are described as not
having a price tag, in other words, budget is not important (BBC, 2007).
Henceforth, these women are part of a high society group that follows a
lifestyle based on particular principles that guides their behavior (Trigg, 2001).
The different sorts of capital required for elite women to join the ‘secret club’
of haute couture according to Bourdieu’s concept, are a positive cultural and
economic capital; which means having a taste for expensive goods and also,
the perception to know-how to appreciate the genuine culture (Trigg, 2001).
As an example, one subculture of this private group is to not only wear the
clothes, but also really appreciate how they have been made; the way the
fabric was sewn, and the hand executed techniques used. For the ladies in
this club, they seek for exclusivity and quality, and in addition, for them, haute

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couture is a sensible purchased, an investment of a collectible form of art

(BBC, 2007).
For this reason, the specific habitus of these high society women
distinguish them from the popular. Furthermore, these women are the ones
who seats on the front row of a fashion show, who dress exclusive clothes
from prestige brands. All in all, these women posses the aesthetic taste,
social, cultural and economic capital that secure them a position of status in
the social hierarchy (Trigg, 2001).

The phenomenon of i’khothane

Taking a completely different perspective of social and cultural capital,

on the article ‘Licking the Snake’ – The I’khothane and Contemporary
Township youth identities in South Africa’ by Howell & Vincent, 2014, the
authors explain the phenomenon of i’khothane, that is a relatively new
practice between young adults from South Africa’s poorest townships. This
new phenomenon that is taking hold amongst young people, involves the
acquisition of expensive brands of clothes, accessories, shoes, alcohol and
thrashing and burning them and tearing up money. Through this ritualization
of destruction, they want to make a statement and they aim to be the most
expensive in order to please the crowds and gain respect (Howell & Vincent,
2014).
There are certain rules that must be followed in order to be part of an
I’khothane group, such as, one must be able to afford the lifestyle and for
them price tag counts, and it needs to be expensive. Also, together as a group
they need to look valuable. According to Howell & Vincent, 2014, the
I’khothane adaptation of tastes, consumption and vandalism of fashion are
creating, based on South Africa’s turbulent history, a new statement of cultural
capital. As described by the authors, this symbolic language “is not only used
to articulate their individual and group identities, but is also used as frame of
reference by I’khothane groups to define themselves in relation to one
another” (Howell & Vincent, 2014). Therefore, they are recognized by the kind
of clothes they wear, and for them they are the most important things,

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Marília Rossetto Costa 07 April 2015
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Temba Meyer-Fels
because it defines who they are and how others see them (Howell & Vincent,
2014).
The ritualized destruction of these objects in these post-apartheid
communities is a form of defiance that at the same time embraces and
negates consumerism (Howell & Vincent, 2014). In this context, “to show that
they can afford” it is a very powerful expression of resistance to this
population that has been kept out of the economic growth of the country
(Howell & Vincent, 2014). Thus, the destruction is to show that they can afford
to buy, destroy and still go and buy more expensive things.
For the I’khothane people, their central concept is respect. Certainly,
the notion of respect is used as a reason by both means of buying and
destroying; it is a strong statement of their identities (Howell & Vincent, 2014).
Respect is symbolic represented through the clothes they wear in the battles.
Consequently, the more “your swag” costs the more dominant you are. It is
the display of abundance that determines the winner (Howell & Vincent,
2014).
All in all, they are a materially obsessed culture, that value the most
respect and recognition, and that’s their currency. In order to get power over
the others, they destroy these symbols of value and the more expensive the
clothes that they are wearing it, burning them raises that person, giving more
power (Howell & Vincent, 2014). The lifestyle of I’khothane is very subjective,
and carries specific forms of cultural capital, that allows its members to create
and exhibit an identity in the context of “their own exclusion from the ‘New
Africa’“(Howell & Vincent, 2014).

Conclusion
For Bourdieu, in order for someone to understand a society, one needs
to have a deep understanding of the working process of their habitus, species
capital and values. In Bourdieu’s theory he puts the individual as an intrinsic
part of the whole and not as separate. Each research commented above,
comes with their individual field, habitus, capital and values. It is clearly seen,
how different life experiences and backgrounds can influence on ones lifestyle
and perspective of habitat. Therefore, Bourdieu’s theory can be applied to
every type of social field, since the person that examines it is able to have an

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open mind to understand what kind of history and influences constitute those
people that value a specific lifestyle.

References

BBC, (2007). The Secret World of Haute Couture. [video] Available at:
https://vimeo.com/99469251 [Accessed 31 Mar. 2015].

Entwistle, J. and Rocamora, A. (2006). The Field of Fashion Materialized: A

Study of London Fashion Week. Sociology, [online] 40(4), pp.735-751.
Available at: http://soc.sagepub.com/content/40/4/735 [Accessed 3 Apr.
2015].

Howell, S. and Vincent, L. (2014). ‘Licking the snake’ - the i'khothane and
contemporary township youth identities in South Africa. South African
Review of Sociology, [online] 45(2), pp.60-77. Available at:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21528586.2014.917883 [Accessed 3 Apr.
2015].

Rocamora, A. (2002). Fields of Fashion: Critical insights into Bourdieu's

sociology of culture. Journal of Consumer Culture, [online] 2(3), pp.341-
362. Available at: http://joc.sagepub.com/content/2/3/341 [Accessed 6
Apr. 2015].

Trigg, A. (2001). Veblen, Bourdieu, and Conspicuous Consumption. Journal of

Economic Issues, [online] 35(1), pp.99-115. Available at:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/4227638 [Accessed 7 Feb. 2014].