Task three; essay proposal.

How does panopticism link to branding within the fashion industry and what effect does this have on society? 

Essay content;

- What is the Panopticon and what was it used for? 

- What examples of Panopticism exsist in modern day?

- How is society Panoptic? and the judgements that are made based on fashion branding. 

- The importance of logos within fashion branding, focussing on a particular logo for more in depth discussion. 

- How identity is now determined by brands we wear and the way society has become due to this. 

- How are consumers encouraged to buy into brands? 

Academic sources;

- Brand story // Joseph Hancock.

Discusses how branding creates an identity for a product, a person and a company. The person's identity is one thing i'd like to explore. It also helps the reader think critically about the message a brand gives, something which most consumers won't do so I could also disucss this. 

- Fashion, culture and identity // Fred Davis. 

Explores how clothing determines your identity and how this communicates messages. This book looks at the sociology behind fashion decisions. Again this links to the idea of identity I would like to explore through branding. 

- Cool brands - An insight into some of Britain's coolest brands // Superbrands.

Gives an insight into particular brands from where they began and why certain decisions were  made. This will give me greater understanding of branding. It also explores certain fashion brands and shops such as H&M and how they are now bringing famous designers in and this links to my idea due to consumerism and the idea that you are judged so consumers will buy into this because it's designer. 

- Fashion and the consumer // Jennifer Yurchisin & Kim K.P. Johnson.

There is a particular section on fashion consumption: Physcographics which explores why people buy and how they are influenced by the people they associate with. This can be connected with the fact that group stereotypes are formed because that group may all buy into the same brands therefor linking to my question because this is an affect branding has on society. 

- Branding // Helen Vaid. 
There is a particular section on logos, something which obviously plays a huge part within branding. It discusses the ideas behind creating a logo and what they can convey. This can be something I discuss within my essay with it being such an important part of branding and one of the main things the consumer looks for when they are searching for branded clothes.


- Discipline and Punish: The birth of the prison // Michael Foucault. 
The section 'Panopticism' explains what the Panopticon was/is and what it was used for, it can be used to back up my current knowledge of the Panopticon and Panopticism and also give me further understanding of it. This is the theory I have linked to my essay idea so having references for this is going to be nescessary.