Needle and thread. Transformations in Soviet dress and changes in values in the Soviet Union as an example of individual clothing production (1953-1985)

In the first working phase some relevant secondary literature should be revised, wherein the historical articles on the history and development of handicrafts in the years 1950 till 1985 are barely available. In this context, a careful review of Soviet sources, such as fashion and women's magazines, advice literature and theoretical work on Soviet fashion and consumption needs to be done. The Soviet sources should be also supplemented where possible by memoirs and literary works. Here, it will be a task which methodologically has to evaluate these sources of cultural studies and prepare them for comparison. A second working phase is planned for the research in archives, reviewing of internal documents, including law texts and reports, economic reports and statistics of the administrative bodies, stocks of the Ministry trade and supply, shorthand reports of party meetings and staff meetings, etc. It is to be remarked that they will not be systematically researched; the focus of the investigation lies rather in the analyses of public discourses and everyday fashion practices. Then follows the completion of about 20 interviews and analyses of visual sources, such as films, photographs, museum catalogs, designs and works of art. With the aim of presenting the first results of the research, as well as of creating a network in the field of Soviet history, culture and fashion, the International Fashion Conference on the topic Fashion in the Soviet Union 1917-1991 will be planned in the second working phase. Both young and experienced academics will be invited to this International Conference to present their current work and show their results. The third working phase is to be used to test hypotheses, to draft and outline planned publications, as well as to issue qualitative manuscripts and especially to prepare monographs. Finally the workshop with the colleagues from practice and research will be carried out.