The ‘glam clown’: Couture, clowning and speculative/spectacular imaginaries of fashion

Abstract

Haute couture is regarded as the epitome of high fashion – an exquisite combination of a designer’s vision, techniques of rarefied artisanal construction and an unaffordable luxury for most. The figure of the clown, in contrast, is regarded by some scholars and audiences as belonging to the realm of the ‘clod-like’, as a humorous figure that appeals to humanity’s desire for low if not base comedy. Yet haute couture and the practice of clowning have much in common – individuality in dress, exquisite craftsmanship and the desire to provide spectacular and speculative experiences for their respective audiences. Both fashion and clowning have a particular affinity to avant-garde artistic practices. Could popular culture theory contemplate the intersection of haute couture and techniques of clowning in producing a new and distinct species of darkly humorous performance and high fashion? A theoretical examination of the glamour of haute couture and clowning is provided to demonstrate the similarities between these iconic cultural popular culture phenomena. Within comics and cinema figures such as the Joker and Harley Quinn feature prominently as exemplars of both fashion and clowning. Musician and actor Lady Gaga provides a unique example of a contemporary artist who may act as a model for the ‘glam clown’ as a distinct figure for both clowning and fashion.

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