Abstract

The insightful chapter titled “White Gaze in Fashion Markets” in the recently released Handbook of Research on Ethnic and Intra-cultural Marketing offers a comprehensive exploration of the historical origins of fashion’s diversity deficit through a multidisciplinary literature review. The chapter commences by elucidating the concept of “fashion” and evaluating its connotations within the text. Subsequently, the authors delve into the reasons behind why fashion historically aimed at women, tracing the evolution of clothing fashion and the pivotal historical events that established certain Western cities as global fashion capitals. Building upon this meticulous review, the subsequent section delves into how the fashion industry has globally endorsed and perpetuated Western beauty standards, thus reinforcing the notion of the “White gaze” – the portrayal of a White-Western appearance as the pinnacle of fashion and beauty. Consequently, the authors delve deeper into the implications of the “White gaze” on women of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, spanning psychological, social, and physiological dimensions. The chapter concludes by proposing potential pathways for fostering increased diversity and inclusivity within the fashion industry.