• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.101-115
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the development of the women's fashion field with the goal of creating creative and experimental fashion styles through the categorization of cases of women's fashion design expressed with Maximalism, a type of expression used in modern fashion, as well as analyzing and examining the formativeness of this style. Qualitative research was conducted through a literature review and design case analysis. The scope of this research was from 2011 S/S to 2016 F/W, and the regional scope included the women's collections from Paris, Milano, London and New York. The results acquired are as follows. Initially, exaggeration was expressed through excessively exaggerating the overall silhouette of clothing or exaggeratedly distorting certain parts of the overall silhouette. Secondly, decoration was expressed through the use of the same colors and materials and the addition of excessive details and trimmings to express an exaggerated style of clothing as well as to express a luxurious and handcrafted style of clothing. Thirdly, fusion was expressed through integrating multiple items from different cultures, deconstruction, which destroys the concept of gender and use of clothing, and fashion style that transcends time and space. Fourthly, non-structurality was expressed through differentiating multiple weight feelings applied to the left/right sides of clothing or expressing a structural designs that is asymmetrical to the upper/lower/left/right directions to create a silhouette that displays a creative avant-garde style. As examined above, it was found that the maximalism expressed in fashion after 2011 created new images and expressed maximized emotional orientations through the exaggerated use of multiple silhouettes and decorations or through the integration of colors, patterns, ages and images. Through this process, maximalism is expected to not only provide an infinite possibility to the modern fashion that pursues diversification and multiplication, but also serve as an example that represents diversified post-modernism fashion trends in the future.