THE HISTORY OF COOL: FASHION & ATTITUDE

James Dean, Marlene Dietrich, James Brown, Frida Kahlo, Marilyn Monroe, Andy Warhol, and David Bowie. What do these people have in common? They were cool. Cool is an elusive essence recognized in artists, musicians, actors and other icons that generations have attempted to capture. This course examines the history of cool from its roots to its continuing influence through the lens of one of its most visible products – fashion. The course introduces concepts drawn from cultural theory, philosophy and psychology; to unravel and explore the complexity of coolness. Through study of icons in mainstream Western consciousness, the course examines the history of what we have found cool, the fashions that retain the aura of cool today, and how these elements in turn reflect what we have found desirable.