The man in rags: fashion experience in Flávio de Carvalho

Abstract

The article analyzes in detail a set of writings by Flávio de Carvalho about fashion, rst published in 1956 and then reissued in 2010, in perspective with two contemporary theorists who also dedicated themselves to look into the subject: Emanuele Coccia and Boris Groys. The central idea is to explore the gure of the “man in rags”, a figure that Flávio himself develops through a series of re ections on the history of clothing, as a contribution to the avant-garde debate around the “new man”. It enables an understanding of another central concept proposed by the author, that of Unisex , and also to revisit its celebrated performance from the creation of a new look. Thus, the article proposes to debate not only the spot occupied by fashion in the trajectory of this singular artist, but also to draw attention to the relevance and topicality of Flávio’s works regarding such debate.