Stylowa święta – meksykański kult Santa Muerte (Święta Śmierć) a moda
The Modish Saint – The Mexican cult of Santa Muerte (Saint Death) and fashion

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the article is to analyse the relations between the cult of a Mexican folk saint Santa Muerte (Saint Death) and fashion. A brief description of the sources of the cult and its history introduce this extraordinary religious phenomenon whose popularity and recognition increased significantly in the past few decades. However, this figure still remains controversial and there is a lack of scientific research and analysis on this topic which results in various discrepancies such as perceiving worshipers of the Saint Death as criminals or interpreting the cult as narco-religion. The practice of decorating the altars and shrines built for the patron and decorating her figure in various types of robes were one the issues mentioned in the article. There are also possible interpretations proposed, of particular ornaments surrounding the figure and various ways of modifying the figure itself in order to demonstrate the relation between the image of the saint and the intentions of her followers. Further, there is an analysis of the influence of the image of Santa Muerte on the fashion industry and its presence on such items like clothes, gadgets and in popular culture. Furthermore, the article referred to the trends among the worshipers of Saint Death and their impact on the esoteric industry. The role of social media in dynamic changes in the visual aspect of the cult is also mentioned.

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