Buying Britney : pop culture icons to cultural brands

This thesis demonstrates that mUSIC stars who attain cultural icon status heavily contribute to the fashion styles of the time. Where as style and music have always had a connection, icons such as Britney Spears are now dictating popular style so much so that music artists are becoming full-fledged fashion designers. While much analysis is devoted to Britney Spears, her largest contributions do not lie in the rise of teenage sexuality, but in establishing music artists as vehicles of consumption. The artists' signature has now become a brand and ~ term "signabrand" has been created to define such a trend. To understand such a shift, a review of past literature devoted to fashion and music, largely consisting of subculture theory is examined, followed by a combination of content analysis, political economy, fashion and postmodem theory to address how music stars attain icon status and guide style.

Warren Hartman fonds, 1970, 1972-1996, 1998, n.d.

Warren Hartman was born in 1942 in Toronto, Ontario. He received a B.A. in Fine Arts and Drama from Brock University in 1981 and a Masters of Arts in Humanities at the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1987. In the 1950s he did considerable work as a child-actor both in theatre and television. From 1953 to 1961 he was in the New Play Society under the direction of Dora Mavor Moore. His last two years there were spent as a scholarship student. From 1963 to 1966 he did an apprenticeship with Suzanne Mess, Head of Costume Design at The Canadian Opera Company in Toronto. In 1976 Warren attended a Master Class in Scenography at the Banff School of Fine Arts with Josef Svoboda. In the spring of 1970 Warren was a guest designer at Brock University and from 1970 to 1972 he remained at Brock as resident designer and special lecturer. During this time he was also an instructor and costume designer at Sheridan College in Oakville. It was in 1972 that he became the designer-in-residence at Brock University. From 1984 he held the position of Associate Professor at The Department of Fine Arts at Brock University until the fall of 1996. Some of the highlights of Warren’s career also include: stage managager with the Street Hat Players in Port Carling, Ontario, 1960-1961; a freelance designer for over 100 shows; costume coordinator(production manager) for the Canadian Opera Company, 1964 -1970; resident costume designer for The Canadian Opera Company, 1965- 1970; founder and artistic director of Dei Gelosi Campagnia, St.Catharines, Ontario, 1970-1973; freelance director of some thirty-five shows; co-producer for Quebec City Summer Stock Company, Quebec City, Quebec, 1975; a consultant with Alberta Culture for the Provincial Government of Alberta, 1986-1987 and associate artistic director at Theatre Network, Edmonton, Alberta, 1986-1987. Warren Hartman was the recipient of the Jean Chalmers Award for contributions to Canadian Theatre for persons 25 years of age or under, in 1965. He was a founding member of Associated Designers of Canada and was affiliated with Canadian Actors Equity. Warren Hartman died on Feb. 11, 1998 several days after suffering a massive stroke. A memorial service was held at Brock University in May of 1998 and a bursary fund was established in his name.

Fur Council of Canada records

The Fur Council of Canada is an association that represents people working in all sectors of the Canadian fur trade, including trappers, processors, designers, manufacturers and retail furriers. The association aims to “promote, defend and enhance the professional, economic, social and moral interests of our members”. The Council supports fair trading practices for the benefit of producers and artisans; the responsible use of renewable resources; partnerships between the fur trade and other sectors of the Canadian and international fashion industry; and innovative use of fur by young designers.