Between garments and resistance: signs, race, and the production of meaning

signos, raça e produção de sentido

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22484/2177-5788.2026v52id6134

Keywords:

Afro-Brazilian Fashion, Modactivism, Production of Meaning

Abstract

This review presents and examines Modativismo: quando a moda encontra a luta, emphasizing its contribution to understanding fashion as a social language and a space of symbolic dispute. The book introduces the concept of modactivism to describe a practice that connects creation, activism, and situated knowledge production, particularly from the experience of Black women. By addressing beauty standards, anthropometric sizing systems, fashion runways, and religious garments, the work shows that fabrics, cuts, and aesthetics operate as signs that organize racial and social hierarchies. In this sense, fashion is not neutral. It functions as a social technology that shapes subjectivities and regulates belonging, repositioning dressing as a political act and a practice of meaning-making.

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Author Biography

  • Paulo Antonio de Sousa, Universidade de Sorocaba (Uniso)

    Paulo Marquêz is a public relations specialist with a PhD and a Master’s degree in Communication and Culture from the University of Sorocaba (Uniso). A public servant, he coordinates the Innovation Lab “LabLeg” at the City Council of Sorocaba. He works with public communication, citizen participation, plain language, and innovation. He writes and reflects on the city we have and how to build the one we want—for everyone.

Published

2026-10-23

Issue

Section

Dossiê | Signos e significados na moda

How to Cite

Between garments and resistance: signs, race, and the production of meaning: signos, raça e produção de sentido. Journal of University Studies, Sorocaba, SP, v. 52, p. e026004, 2026. DOI: 10.22484/2177-5788.2026v52id6134. Disponível em: https://periodicos.uniso.br/reu/article/view/6134. Acesso em: 26 oct. 2026.