vienna

able by means of the ascription of intentional states to its
agents. Ritualised action is not identified in this way, because
we cannot link what the actor does with what his or her intentions
might be. Instead of being guided and structured by
the intentions of the actors, ritualised action is constituted and
structured by prescription, not just in the sense that people follow
rules, but in the much deeper sense that a reclassification
takes place so that only following the rules counts as action.” 588
The stagings of the catwalk shows also follow fashion
trends. The catwalk can be a raised architectural element extending
into the audience, but it can also be an empty passage on
the floor, framed just by the seats of the audience. Thus, it is
only the ritualised action of the mannequins that creates ritual
space. Common to both is a street-like arrangement with space
for the audience to its left and its right. The catwalk is usually on
the long sides and at the dead end surrounded by the audience,
while on the other side we have something that functions like a
kind of door through which the models appear and disappear.
This door also separates the backstage area from the area for the
public. Catwalk shows can be performed in various places, and
the installation is usually temporary. But today, several fashion
brands also build their own permanent ritual architecture for the
sole purpose of catwalk shows. This can perhaps be compared
with the time in which temples were built for the performance
of religious services. Humphrey and Vitebsky characterise sacred
architecture as follows:
“A sacred building comes into a relationship with human
worshippers through ritual action. Rites of purification make
the building into a suitable meeting point between humanity
and divinity. Within this space, the meeting is generally
enacted through the central religious act of sacrifice (whether
literal or symbolic), which is also developed and elaborated in
other kinds of action such as praying and dancing. These human
deeds are matched by actions of the gods, who grant favours
and bless worshippers within the arena of the building. This
two-way communication intensifies the sacred power of a site,
sometimes turning it into a magnet for pilgrims who come,
often at enormous personal cost, to seek a transformation in
588 Ibid., p. 106.
Procession
250