O uniforme enquanto elemento de reforço da identidade das organizações: o caso da 1ª Corporação Feminina da Brigada Militar do RGS

Abstract

In the business world, fashion can be seen as a strategy used by institutions, specially related to the construction and valorization of their image in society. Often part of this strategy includes the creation and development of clothing to be used by the employees. This clothing, also known by uniform, identifies the individuals as part of a particular organization. In this context, this dissertation aimed to study the creation of the first female corporation of the Military Brigade of Rio Grande do Sul State’s uniform, analyzed by the perspective of the product-service system, an essential concept of Strategic Design. Product-service system can be considered as strategic, that analyzes the interaction established between the product and the other spheres that guide the design project. Thus, the goal of this paper was to identify how the uniforms of the Female Military Brigade relate to the organization as a means of strengthening their identity within this product-service system. For the development of this research, a case study was fulfilled, through in-depth interviews with two groups, that includes the former Governor of RS (1983-1987) and the stylist Rui Spohr on the first group, and the Colonel and a Major of the studied corporation on the second one. An analysis of interviews was held in conjunction with the Museum of Communication, the main newspapers of the State (Zero Hora and Correio do Povo) and also the designer himself and the designer himself. The main results show that the uniform can be analyzed from three different categories – visual elements, communication and behavior –, and indeed can be considered as empowering elements of the identity of the corporation.