fashion and superstitions

Domenico Gnoli, Armchair no. 2, 1967, acrylic and sand on canvas, copyright adagp, Paris, 2024, courtesy of the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, Madrid Domenico Gnoli, Robe Verte, 1967, private collection, copyright adagp, Paris, 2024, courtesy of luxembourg + co., photo Richard Ivey

essay 

by ALEXANDRE SAMSON

artwork by DOMENICO GNOLI

Fashion curator and historian Alexandre Samson heads the haute couture and contemporary creation departments at the Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris, Palais Galliera.

Nowadays, fashion operates as a globalized system, often associated with overproduction and immense profits. Recent awareness of its environmental and social abuses has eroded its once deeply human essence. Yet, fashion stands out from other industries by the magic that surrounds some of its practices. Since the inception of haute couture in the mid-19th century, traditions, rituals, beliefs, and superstitions have woven their way into…