Object and the Evolution of Meaning in the Socio-Cultural Structures of Fashion A semiotic Study of Parviz Tanavoli’s Wearable Jewelry

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Iran

2 University of Paris-Cite, Paris, France

Abstract

One of the subjects examined in semiotics is the system of fashion and its mode of meaning-making within various cultural and social contexts. Relying on the theoretical findings of semiotics, we have attempted to focus on a particular type of fashion called wearable jewelry. Many artists have engaged in jewelry design at some point in their lives, and their works have served as a foundation for many fashion designers. One notable example is Parviz Tanavoli, who turned to artistic jewelry during his artistic career. In this essay, we aim to answer the question: What is the relationship between Tanavoli’s wearable jewelry and fashion? And how do these pieces create a distinct lifestyle? Our goal is to demonstrate how the meaning of an object evolves within the fashion system and how lifestyle changes accordingly. To address these questions, we employed a semiotic approach, which is a modern method for analyzing both verbal and nonverbal languages. Our analysis led to the conclusion that Tanavoli’s jewelry has transformed from an artistic object to a functional object, and finally into a cultural object, thereby creating a unique artistic lifestyle.

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References

 
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Journal of Sociolinguistics
Volume 9, Issue 1 - Serial Number 33
February 2026
Pages 85-97

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