Las narrativas de la moda sostenible en Bogotá: un análisis de la representación de la clase social y el consumismo elitista

Abstract

This research study analyzes sustainable fashion and second-hand clothing consumption in Bogotá as a communicative phenomenon, a form of social representation, and a driver of class configuration. Drawing on theoretical approaches such as Serge Moscovici's theory of social representations, Stuart Hall's cultural studies, and Theodor Adorno's critiques of the culture industry, it investigates how the symbolic expressions of dress transcend mere aesthetic function to become languages that communicate identity, status, and values. In the current context of environmental crisis exacerbated by Fast Fashion, alternatives such as Slow Fashion, Upcycling, and Thrifting have gained momentum. Through a descriptive and exploratory methodology based on a multiple case study, social media content analysis, in-depth interviews, and the production of an audiovisual documentary, the study demonstrates how the Bogotá elite adopts and re-signifies the consumption of usable or second-hand garments, a practice historically rooted in working-class sectors due to economic necessity, transforming it, via digital platforms and influencers, into a strategy for personal branding, social distinction, and the projection of an eco-friendly status. Thus, the study examines the tensions between the democratization of sustainability, cultural appropriation, and the alteration of commercial dynamics with in the local market.