The idea behind “Total Living” comes from the notion that styles and ways of living are becoming increasingly uniform under labels and definitions derived from fashion which is understood as an industry and cultural form. Total style is therefore the “point of no return” of a global project which is made tangible in a lifestyle which defines to the last detail all aspects of living. And the protagonists of fashion and design, along with the creative professionals in marketing and communication are seen as new visionaries, motivated by profit, who propose new ways of living where everything is organised and metabolised by aesthetics.
In this context, the confines between systems of fashion, design, architecture, art and communication are increasingly blurred; as such fashion steals from the museum and its display techniques whilst the museum follows fashion exploiting the attraction which it holds which is seen as global and classless. Pre-packaged ways of life are developed and launched which become trends able to influence quite decisively the life of consumers and create followers of a new cult.
The book is made up of two parts. The first part is an iconographic section – where a selection of life designs, urban visions, architecture, special houses, shops, art galleries, museums, photographs and publicity campaigns are presented, extracted from fashion, style and architecture magazines – followed by a series of critiques from many different contributors; as well as the editors themselves experts from various disciplines have been called on including Paola Antonelli, Francesco Bonami, Michele Ciavarella, Riccardo Dirindin, Emanuela De Cecco, Chee Pearlman, Roberto Monelli, Herbert Muschamp, Michele Sernini, Dietmar Steiner and Deyan Sudjic.
