Post‑Truth and Its Infiltration into Contemporary Fashion: Narratives, Banality, and Ethical Erosion
Post‑truth has become one of the most influential concepts for understanding contemporary culture. Its modern origin dates back to 1992, when playwright Steve Tesich reflected on the public reaction to the Iran‑Contra scandal and the Gulf War. In his analysis, Tesich argued that society had chosen “to live in a post‑truth world,” meaning an environment where emotionally convenient narratives prevail over verifiable facts (Tesich, 1992). Building on this idea, various authors have explored how post‑truth emerges when emotion becomes a more persuasive criterion than evidence.
Along these lines, philosopher Miroslav Vacura argues that post‑truth arises from a profound transformation in the relationship between expert knowledge and the public sphere. According to his analysis, the authority of scientific data weakens in a saturated media ecosystem where information circulates without filters and opinion acquires disproportionate weight (Vacura, 2020). Thus, post‑truth is not merely a discursive phenomenon but a symptom of a broader epistemic crisis. Similarly, Dante Avaro explains that post‑truth thrives when empirical truths and emotional narratives coexist in a fragile balance, one that easily tilts toward manipulation when public actors prioritize political convenience over factual accuracy (Avaro, 2021).
Taken together, these perspectives show that post‑truth is not a historical accident but a consequence of technological, cultural, and media transformations that have reshaped how truth is produced and legitimized.
Post‑Truth as a Dominant Aesthetic in Fashion
Fashion, as an industry built on symbols, narratives, and perceptions, becomes fertile ground for post‑truth logic. It is therefore unsurprising that many contemporary dynamics within the sector operate under the same principles that structure post‑factual politics. Appearance gains more value than fact; the story being told matters more than the reality that sustains it.
In this context, greenwashing is a paradigmatic example. Brands that implement only superficial changes in their production processes proclaim themselves “sustainable,” appealing to the consumer’s environmental sensitivity. Yet these claims often lack verifiable evidence, demonstrating how emotion—ecological guilt, the desire for responsibility, moral aspiration—overrides transparency. Fashion not only reproduces post‑truth; it aestheticizes it, commercializes it, and turns it into an aspirational product.
Banal Influencers: Empty Authority as a Cultural Symptom
Parallel to this, the figure of the banal influencer has become a central actor in the attention economy. These are individuals with high digital visibility but little technical knowledge of the industry. Their authority does not stem from expertise but from their ability to generate desire. However, this phenomenon raises a significant ethical problem: legitimacy shifts from knowledge to popularity.
Thus, when these influencers recommend products, trends, or sustainability narratives without deep understanding, they contribute to the expansion of aesthetic post‑truth. Audiences trust them not because of the accuracy of their claims but because of the emotional familiarity they generate. This dynamic erodes informational responsibility and normalizes superficiality as a criterion of authority.
Brands That Trade Ethics for Digital Visibility
In response to this banalization, many brands have begun to negotiate their ethics in exchange for visibility. Instead of collaborating with experts, artisans, or informed voices, they choose figures with high digital reach—even when these contradict the values the brand claims to uphold. Coherence is sacrificed for immediate impact.
This practice not only reproduces post‑truth logic—where the appearance of authenticity replaces authenticity itself—but also weakens the trust of informed consumers. Nevertheless, the industry continues to prioritize visibility over integrity, revealing a deep tension between ethics and market dynamics.
An Invitation to Critical Lucidity
Post‑truth is not an isolated phenomenon nor exclusive to politics; it is a cultural structure that permeates the way we consume, desire, and represent ourselves. Fashion, operating through symbols and narratives, becomes a privileged mirror of this logic. It is therefore urgent for consumers, brands, and creators to cultivate a more critical gaze capable of distinguishing between narrative and reality.
What kind of consumer are you? Someone who rigorously examines what they buy, or someone whose lack of awareness becomes fertile ground for the narratives that ethically fragile brands need to thrive? The question is uncomfortable because it shifts responsibility to the place where it hurts most: our own decisions. In a market saturated with aspirational discourse, the industry has learned to wrap every garment in a morally soothing narrative designed to activate emotion before critical thought.
In this scenario, purchasing ceases to be an aesthetic choice and becomes an emotional transaction in which the consumer acquires, more than an object, a symbolic alibi. Sustainability becomes a slogan, activism an accessory, and authenticity a performative gesture. Fashion offers stories that replace facts and symbols that substitute real commitments, while audiences accept these fictions because they are more comfortable than the complexity of the material world.
However, accepting these narratives without questioning them means relinquishing our capacity for discernment. Responsibility does not lie solely with brands that manipulate collective sensitivity but also with those who consume without interrogating the structures that legitimize these fictions. Looking beyond aesthetics requires dismantling the narrative comfort that fashion offers, identifying when a discourse functions as a moral sedative, and recognizing when a symbolic promise conceals practices that contradict the values it claims to defend.
In this context, reclaiming truth as a cultural value becomes an act of critical lucidity. It means resisting the temptation to accept prefabricated narratives, demanding coherence between what is communicated and what is produced, and rejecting the reduction of perception to merchandise. Reflection becomes urgent—not to condemn fashion, but to restore its potential as a space for awareness, agency, and responsibility.
