WAYOF Conference explored the connection between Fashion and Psychology

On 17 and 18 July, Lusófona University - Porto University Centre hosted the conference Way Of – Thinking and Feeling About Fashion, a scientific meeting dedicated to reflecting on fashion as a cultural, social and psychological phenomenon.

Over the course of the two-day event, lectures, panel discussions and debate sessions brought together researchers, lecturers and professionals from a range of fields. The opening session featured addresses by Moisés Martins, Director of the FCAATI; Carla Antunes, representing the Director of the FPE, Inês Jongenelen; and Alexandra Cruchinho, Director of the Bachelor's Degrees in Fashion Design and Fashion Production at ULusófona. This was followed by presentations from Diogo Lamela, on fashion and human and social behaviour, and Carlos Campos, who explored the relationship between neuroscience, communication and fashion. The programme also included panel discussions featuring Carla Reis, Dina Barreiros, Cátia Rijo and Paulo Gonçalves, among other specialists.

The second day continued the discussion on identity, perception and the construction of the self through fashion. Highlights included presentations by Sónia Soares Coelho, Frederico Martins, Luísa do Valle and ULusófona designer and lecturer Luís Buchinho, as well as panel discussions bringing together Ana Sotto Mayor, Vera Deus, Luísa Branco and Luísa Jeremias, fostering dialogue between psychology, fashion, communication and artistic creation.

Alexandra Cruchinho emphasised the importance of developing scientific research that brings together fashion and psychology. According to the lecturer, there are “a number of elements that fashion and psychology have in common”, ranging from the creative process to the way people feel and present themselves in different social contexts.

Sónia Soares Coelho, Clinical Director and psychoanalyst at Mentanalysis, reflected on the psychological dimension of aesthetic choices and the way people dress. According to the specialist, fashion should be understood beyond its visual dimension, since “our choices are motivated by many variables”, some conscious and others unconscious. From a psychoanalytic perspective, she argued that choices related to appearance reveal aspects of each individual’s personal history, emotions and life experiences, stating that “fashion is a form of expression” and that what we wear is a manifestation of our identity.

The conference established itself as a meeting point between different academic disciplines and creative practices, promoting reflection on fashion as a field for the construction of identity, communication and knowledge production, by bringing together contributions from fashion, psychology, neuroscience and communication.

View the Event Photographs on ULusófona’s Facebook Page

Text
Bruna Pereira

Coverage
Gabriel Motta
Susana A. Oliveira

Photography Editing
Gabriel Motta

Video Editing
Paulo Renato