Can we start talking about touch, please? Reflections on aspects of tactility and sensory experience in the light of the corona pandemic

Why is touch important? For long, the fashion industry has been driving on seasonal- and trendbased looks, in an increasingly online universe. And no less so during the corona lockdowns where it was simply not possible to purchase garments in physical shops. It is well-documented from e.g. wardrobe research how important our senses are when we dress, and how problematic it is to reduce the wearing of garments to a mere visual phenomenon rather than a full-body, sensoric experience.

Having studied fur in a five-year period from 2014-2019, the author here reflects on the paradox that fur is an area where touch is a core trait that has got somewhat lost at many levels in the general fashion industry of today. Placing this within the sustainability debate, this paper will address how fur is at the same time emblematic of industrialised agriculture and thereby the anthroposcene world-view that needs to change, but also carries elements that is worth reflecting upon in the green transition that is starting to happen. The paper takes its departure in situated field work of a full research team led by the author (Skjold et al, 2018/Skjold 2019).