vienna

In his outline of a “social utopia of design”, Gert Selle questioned
the impact of good and bad design on society. Contrary to the radical
German design movement, he was convinced that a progressive
approach in design should be based on sociology. He was angry
about motivational consumer research, for him the outcome of design
based on it was merely styling. 513 He argued that social behaviour
ought be just as designed as the materiality of objects. 514 For
Selle, communication is a key function of design. And he sees his
utopia in a communication that is no longer under the influence of
commercial forces:
“Since the social utopia of design insists that falsified norms of
communication be dismantled and at least the potential for a nonhierarchical
communication be ensured in the design, we must
find ways of undermining the norms of product conformity that
falsify meaning.” 515
Selle argued that instead of producing culture, the system is only
reproducing the commodity fetish. 516 The seasonal sale window is
the bridge between the fetish generations. The temporarily sacrificed
symbolic capital of the retailer fills the vacuum between the fetish
generations. Thus, social utopia of design is related to the deep-seated
basic needs of the consumer:
“It is of utmost importance for the strategies of concrete design
utopias to correspond to the probably suppressed structures of consumer
need/demand in such a way that a spontaneous expression
of demand/need results.“ 517
But especially the seasonal sale, with its intuitive symbolic
communication, would have the possibility of fulfilling these premises
of utopian design. It is a shame that the seasonal sale is not free
of the commercial power of the production sector. Is it only possible
to achieve utopian design when production forms and targets are
redesigned? 518
The show window of a men’s fashion boutique shows three torsos.
The torsos are placed shoulder to shoulder. The first and the third
513 Selle (1997:117).
514 Ibid. p166.
515 Ibid., p. 135*.
516 Selle (1997:104).
517 Ibid., p. 162*.
518 Selle (1992:174).
The
Death
of
Fashion 203