Erik Hansen-Hansen’s Ph.D. dissertation is a “theoretical tour de force”. The evaluation panel described this as the strength as well as the weakness of the dissertation. With its conceptual clarification and theoretical discussions, the dissertation offers a weighty contribution to establishing a Danish fashion research effort.

By Anna Krarup Jensen

The evaluation panel heaped praise on Erik Hansen-Hansen’s Ph.D. dissertation “Desire, Seduction and Feminine Beauty: Global Luxury Fashion in the Network Economy” during the public defence on 14 May 2008 at The Danish Design School. The evaluation panel called the dissertation knowledgeable, impressive, bold and ambitious but also commented that its broad approach to the topic carries the risk of not giving all the relevant aspects a sufficiently in-depth treatment.

Bold and ambitious. Erik Hansen-Hansen’s Ph.D. dissertation about luxury fashion has a very broad theoretical base, which in the view of the evaluation panel is both its strength and its weakness. Photo from the dissertation

Anne-Louise Sommer, head of research and associate professor at The Danish Design School, who chaired the evaluation panel, pointed to Erik Hansen-Hansen’s willingness to go beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries in his thinking, calling this approach “both liberating and problematic”.
“To a rare degree, new areas are explored, and new and untraditional connections are continuously established,” she said in her statement. On the topic of the innovative and ambitious quality of the dissertation, she said,
“Erik Hansen-Hansen’s dissertation unfolds in the field of tension between ‘High climbers have the greatest falls’ and ’No pain, no gain’.”

Feminine beauty and attraction are the driving forces behind fashion – partly due to biological differences between the sexes, says Erik Hansen-Hansen. Photo from the dissertation

Sexual Asymmetry
The dissertation looks at global luxury fashion, i.e. high-end fashion, which is widely coveted around the world. Erik Hansen-Hansen identifies the key driving forces behind luxury fashion as gender differences, feminine beauty and attraction. He confronts the social constructivist view of gender, which views gender differences as primarily culturally conditioned. 

Erik Hansen-Hansen draws on biological and psychological theory to explain gender differences, including the theory of sexual asymmetry. This theory revolves around the idea that women have a far greater biological investment in their offspring than men, as women only develop one egg a month and carry the child throughout pregnancy. Briefly put, the theory says that while women look for the best men based on strength and social hierarchy, men essentially look for young, beautiful women as they are considered more fertile. Hence, rejuvenation and beauty enhancement are crucial for women, and this is reflected in luxury fashion, says Erik Hansen-Hansen.

Lars Fredrik Svendsen, associate professor at The University of Bergen, sees the sections about biological theories as the weakest link in the dissertation.
“It is an original dissertation with very high ambitions and, not least, a very broad thematic approach. Applying such a broad or multi-disciplinary perspective, however, also carries the risk that not everything is treated with appropriate depth or precision,” he said in his opening statement, and then pointed specifically to the biology sections.

Erik Hansen-Hansen replied that he is no biologist, and that thus, biology is not his main focus.
“The biological theory is mainly included in order to challenge the otherwise one-sided focus on gender as a cultural construct,” he replied.

Lars Dybdahl, associate professor at the University of Copenhagen, highlighted the dissertation’s demonstration that interdisciplinary approaches open new potentials for design research.
“It’s a very strong point in Erik’s bold and vibrant dissertation that, despite an approach that’s not always fully convincing, it is also a strong manifestation of the potential that this sort of cross-ranging analytical strategy holds for Danish design research – whether the topic is fashion, as in this case, or something else entirely,” he said. 

In his dissertation, Erik Hansen-Hansen challenges feminist theories that have reviled fashion as being oppressive of women. In his view, the mechanisms behind global fashion are far more subtle. Illustration from the dissertation

Fashion Hatred and a Dual Desire Industry
Erik Hansen-Hansen also looks to theories on network economics and complexity theory in order to grasp the mechanisms in the cultural industry of luxury fashion. He examines luxury fashion as an eco-system, where many complex and immaterial factors play a role.

Erik Hansen-Hansen calls the cultural industry of fashion a dual desire industry based partly on sexual desire, where women can attain privilege by enhancing their beauty, and partly on a luxury desire for products that are unique and stand out. The cultural industry of fashion sparks and fuels these desires – with the image-based media as a powerful vehicle.

Another topic addressed by Erik Hansen-Hansen is the historical hatred of fashion and feminine beauty enhancement. The hatred of fashion stems from Marxist theorists, who saw fashion as a part of the capitalist engine, creating an eternal cycle of consumption. Feminists have also reviled fashion as a reflection of male oppression of women. This criticism has typically been based on a perception of gender as culturally conditioned, with no role for biology. Erik Hansen-Hansen considers this view one-sided.

The Establishment of Danish Fashion Research
The dissertation has a section devoted to clarifying concepts, which Erik Hansen-Hansen included partly with a view to aiding future research-based design education.

Lars Dybdahl talked about Danish design research as an independent science.
“We might say that the ‘independent’ scientific field of design has a new character that is in genuine harmony with the new network society: The ‘independent’ scientific field of design is a network discipline with junctures, centres and peripheries – fashion is one of the centres in this complexity of disciplines,” he said.

He sees Erik Hansen-Hansen’s dissertation – with its bold analyses and comprehensive theory – as an important element in establishing a Danish fashion research effort. 
“At a time when new Danish fashion research is in its foundational stage, Erik’s dissertation is a valuable effort that holds rich perspectives. With this dissertation, the author has offered a high-quality contribution to establishing a Danish field of fashion research on a contemporary scientific level, where a vital contemporary focus is combined with historical depth and a strong international perspective, both empirically and theoretically,” said Lars Dybdahl.

MSc (IT) Erik Hansen-Hansen defended his Ph.D. dissertation Begær, forførelse og kvindelig skønhed: Den globale luksusmode i netværksøkonomien (Desire, Seduction and Feminine Beauty: Global Luxury Fashion in the Network Economy) at The Danish Design School on 14 May 2008. The dissertation is available in Danish only. The evaluation panel Lars Fredrik Händler Svendsen, associate professor at the University of Bergen Lars Dybdahl, MA by research, associate professor at the University of Copenhagen Anne-Louise Sommer, MA by research, head of research, associate professor at The Danish Design School Supervisors during the Ph.D. project Ida Engholm, MA, Ph.D., associate professor at the Danish Centre for Design Research Mikkel Bogh, MA by research, rector at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art, The Schools of Visual Arts Erik Hansen-Hansen’s research The dissertation is the result of a Ph.D. project at The Danish Design School and the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art, School of Architecture. It is available from the library at the Danish Design School and from the library at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art, School of Architecture. You can read about Erik Hansen-Hansen’s research in the annual report from the Danish Centre for Design Research for 2007, Indblik i dansk designforskning (Glimpses of Danish Design Research). It is available in Danish only. Erik Hansen-Hansen continues his research into luxury fashion as an assistant professor of research at The Danish Design School and the Danish Centre for Design Research.

Mind Design #10, 2008