Institutions as Intangible Assets in the Evolution of Italian Fashion, 1950–2000

Abstract

Abstract Institutions, as intangible factors, influenced the development and configuration of the Italian fashion system in the second half of the twentieth century. Historians have recognized the importance of institutions in understanding historical change, economic trends, and path dependence. This approach is well established in historical studies, but the application of the institutional logics theoretical framework to detailed analyses of specific cases and contexts remains unexplored. In this respect, the institutions and institutional logics in the emergence and configuration of the Italian fashion system exemplify how institutions influence organizational structure and behavior as well as market evolution. The evolution of Italian fashion therefore underscores the cultural dimensions of institutions and, eventually, their significance as intangible factors.