Abstract
Opening with a contemporary evocation of Italy’s miraculous economic, cultural, and social postwar transformation—Dolce & Gabbana’s 2016 short film advertisement for its Dolce Rosa Excelsa perfume—Harris highlights the long-lasting effects of American female consumer culture’s arrival in Italy after the Second World War. The conclusion identifies the various American consumer products, methods, and ideals with which Italian women came into contact from 1945 to 1975 and the resulting effect on these women’s identities and livelihoods. Harris also examines the political implications of American female consumer culture in Cold War Italy, identifying how Catholic and Communist women reacted to this new cultural presence, as well as the cultural-economic path Italy set itself on by adopting certain aspects of mass American consumerism.
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Notes
- 1.
“Made in Italy,” in the world of fashion, denotes Italian excellence in this sector. The term, used in this way, dates back to the 1970s when Italian ready-to-wear clothes rose to prominence on the international fashion scene, with Milan becoming one of the world’s top fashion capitals on par with Paris, and the designers, such as Armani, Versace, and Gianfranco Ferré who were based in the city becoming as equally popular and acclaimed, if not more so, as their Parisian counterparts. Furthermore, “Made in Italy” fashion represents the successful combination of Italian industry, specifically that of Lombardy which is known for its numerous textile companies, and Italian creativity. Sofia Gnoli (2005, 197–198).
- 2.
- 3.
“Dolce & Gabbana Sophia Loren N°1 Lipstick,” http://www.dolcegabbana.com/beauty/makeup/lips-products/sophia-loren-1-lipstick/
- 4.
Ibid.
- 5.
Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Rosa Excelsa, dir. Giuseppe Tornatore, 2016.
- 6.
As discussed in the book, the American consumer products sold and the models adopted and adapted by Italian companies, such as Arnoldo Mondadori Editore and La Rinascente, as well as US financial aid after the war to these companies and to textile firms, who played a crucial role in the rise of Italian fashion onto the world fashion stage, were important components of these companies’ ability to rebuild, grow, and be successful after the war. Both Mondadori and La Rinascente still exist and are still leading companies in their respective commercial sectors.
References
Films
Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Rosa Excelsa. dir. Giuseppe Tornatore, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=stEARtuG-bI. Accessed 5 July 2019.
Books, Chapters, Articles
Dolce & Gabbana Sophia Loren N°1 Lipstick. http://www.dolcegabbana.com/beauty/makeup/lips-products/sophia-loren-1-lipstick/
Gnoli, Sofia. 2005. Un secolo di moda italiana. 1900–2000. Roma: Meltemi editore.
Scafati, Laura. 2015. D & G, un rossetto per Sophia Loren. Vanity Fair Italia, September 24. http://www.vanityfair.it/beauty/make-up/15/09/24/dolce-e-gabbana-rossetto-sophia-loren-n-1
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Harris, J.L. (2020). Conclusion. In: Italian Women's Experiences with American Consumer Culture, 1945–1975. Italian and Italian American Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47825-4_8
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