Consumer culture and the fashion retail in the city of Lisbon: Avenida da Liberdade as stage and theater

Abstract

The Avenida da Liberdade, in Lisbon, is quoted among the most luxurious streets in the world. This chapter examines the path traversed by this axis, from its opening in the late nineteenth century to the present day. We argue that despite the weaknesses pointed out in its conception, several factors related with centrality, symbolism, prestige and scenography allowed this boulevard to assert itself as the showcase par excellence of the city. Intentionally used by the nineteenth-century bourgeoisie for strolling in, to see and to be seen, in recent decades it has become the favorite stage for luxury and fashion retailing. Exploring this idea is based on a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods designed to address the different dimensions of the problem. While the reconstruction of its role as a promenade for the nineteenth-century flâneur relies on an active reading of scientific and literary texts, its most recent vocation as a showcase of international capital linked to luxury and fashion is founded on empirical work, which includes a survey of stores, interviews with managers of shops and field observation.