Fashion Design for Applying Supra Syndrome of Corset

Corset의 Supra현상을 응용한 의상디자인

Since fashion is considered to be a cultural product and belongs to the formative art as well, the changes in fashion reflect those of society. Modern fashion has emerged from the period when people would follow the popular fashion uniformly, and moved toward the age of diversity, expressing not only the inner desires and aesthetic sensibility of individuals but also the freedom from formality and traditional restrictions. This kind of changes in expression became important motives for modern dress design following the present cultural phenomena, and, so called "outerwearization" of the undergarment or "infra apparel" exemplifies this situation. Corset especially has been playing a vital role in exaggerating and emphasizing the beauty of female body and correction of its shape. Today, one can frequently witness corset in street fashion along with brassier, Its sister concept. This "outerwearization" of the undergarment is supplanted as a syndrome, and it is defined as "supra syndrome" using "supra" as the opposite meaning to "infra". This unique phenomenon of modern fashion cannot be explained by a single social aspect, but as a mixed state of eroticism, fetishism, feminism, demonstrationists and expressionism among several current phenomena. The advent of "supra syndrome" and its cultural background were illustrated and stand-out "supra syndrome" exhibited by many world-renowned designers were analyzed in this study. As the result of study, six design pieces were developed and produced in three groups, based on different corset motifs. This study reaffirms that creativity of design is limitless and the imaginative abilities alone cannot accomplish higher level of design and development of works of fashion unless they are accompanied by the understanding of historical background, periodical circumstances and cultural phenomena. In this study, utilizing the modern apparatus such as computer and the advent of the modern technology was also found helpful in creative fashion design process.