• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.83-100
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• 2009

In the 'Society of the Spectacle', Guy Debord argued that modern life was dominated by the commodity form and the false desires it engendered. He predicted in 1967 that culture would become the driving force in the development of the economy by the end of the century, He was sure when culture becomes nothing more than a commodity, it must also become the star commodity of the spectacular society. Fashion, the starriest of star commodities with its seductive fantasy approaches to the viewers occluding the commercial reality. From this point, the spectacular property of the modern fashion can be found. This study starts on the notion that the modern fashion is on the center of capitalist consumer culture and is constructed by spectacle. On this premise, the purpose of this study is analysing the attribute of 'spectacle' and 'keeping distance ￡Tom spectacle' in modern fashion expressed in fashion show, fashion media and fashion store. The fashion houses in the 1990s that recognised the commercial value of shock and spectacle were eager to employ young spectacularly visible named designers. They generated the publicity necessary for sales of perfume, cosmetics, bags and diffusion range of clothes through the visible fashion show and fashion media. In the fashion show and fashion media, fashion goods as the commodity both flaunts and disguises its commercial nature in spectacle. The spectacle on the fashion store is the process turning the commodity into image to arouse viewer's higher interest. In the fashion store, the appearance of the commodity such as space, display, package is considered more importantly than its 'utility value'. Meanwhile, the study also covered the innovative trial to evade the ubiquitous 'spectacle' in fashion area.