"Fashion Forward": Fashioning Sociocultural Narratives Through Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of Fashion Editorials

This qualitative study applies Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA) to decode sociocultural issues embedded in fashion editorials, addressing research questions about the sociocultural themes conveyed in the photos, the role of visual semiotics in the construction and presentation of each theme, and the sociocultural connotations contained therein. By employing thematic analysis and the modified version of Machin's Visual Semiotic Analysis framework tailored to the research context, the study systematically analyzes pose, gaze, social distance, objects, and settings in eight carefully selected fashion editorials, revealing nuanced sociocultural narratives. Under violence and exploitation, it reveals domestic violence and the commodification of women. Secondly, under psychosocial well-being, topics such as mental health issues and teenage intimacy and alcoholism were discovered. Thirdly, under socioeconomic challenges, poverty and hunger plus cultural oppression were revealed. Finally, under the broad topic of global concerns, pollution's perils and technological hegemony were discussed. The findings highlight fashion imagery's ability to reflect societal discourses, emphasizing the importance of visual communication in navigating contemporary sociocultural challenges.