Fashioning Iceland's past in the present: An example of (dis)connections of traditional dress in the Arctic.

The article examines the disconnection between Icelandic women's traditional national dress and contemporary Icelandic fashion design, focusing on the symbolic figure of the fjallkona, or "Lady of the Mountain," and her associated ceremonial outfits. It identifies three main categories of Icelandic national dress—premodern, kinship-based vernacular, and nationalist reactionary designs—highlighting how these garments have become ritualized and distanced from everyday life and fashion innovation. Drawing on fieldwork, surveys, and Jean Baudrillard's theory of simulacra, the study argues that the Lady and her dress have evolved into self-referential symbols largely unmoored from lived Icelandic experience, limiting their influence on modern apparel design. While vernacular dress traditions show signs of revitalization within local and generational networks, the canonical national costumes remain largely insulated from contemporary fashion, raising questions about their future integration or continued separation. This case offers insights into similar cultural dynamics affecting traditional dress and identity in Arctic and North Atlantic communities.