The Beginning and Development of Japonism in Mode

자포니즘 모드의 시원(始原)과 전개(展開)

The term Japonism was coined in France where the predilection for Japanese art forms was immediately apparent, influencing Impressionism, Symbolism, Post-Impressionism, and later the Art Nouveau movement, all of which reflect aspects of Japanese art adapted to Western style. The 1968 May Revolution in Paris changed traditional thinking and shifted the center of fashion of the 1970's from haute couture to pret-a porter. At about the same time, having recovered from the destruction of war, Japan started to emerge as a leading economic force. The Japanese clothing designers, who were inspired by their own traditions, began to present their collections in the West. Hanae Mori's dresses with Japanese floral motifs were the first to appear. The West was captivated by the colorfully layered clothing of Kenzo Takada inspired by peasant and working class kimonos. And Issey Miyake was acclaimed for his innovative concepts of ‘one piece of cloth'. In the 1980s Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto achieved recognition with their deconstructivist and minimalist approaches to fashion. The clothing proposed by these Japanese designers has transcended not only national and sexual boundaries, but also those of accepted materials in which to work. These designs suggest new possibilities and are unrestricted by preconceived ideas of kimono or of Western clothing. The emergence of Japanese designers as a powerful creative force in the late twentieth century has created a new dimension to the term Japonism in fashion. By integrating the clothing traditions of the West and Japan, while at the same time departing from them, a new international genre of clothing has been created.