• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
• /
• v.52 no.5
• /
• pp.155-172
• /
• 2002

The research has the aim of defining the special characteristics of the functionalist fashion design in the 1900s by understanding the essence of functionalism in the sociocultural contexts. Giving careful consideration to functionalist fashion design in the 1990s makes it possible to foresee the way of fashion design to meet the needs of the modems and men of the future world. To obtain the purposes, documentary study and demonstrative study with fashion photographs have been executed. Main results are as follows. Functionalism in the 1990s has been developed in different ways from the analogies in the beginning of the 20th century. It doesn't belong to an analogy but has the fused characteristics. It can be classified into techno functionalism influenced by new technology Pure functionalism related to minimalism. casual functionalism for those who are crazy about the speed and sports and enjoy the freedom and comfort and symbolic functionalism. Mechanical analogy has been developed into techno functionalism. Pure functionalism has come from the blend of mechanical and moral analogy, casual functionalism from mechanical. organic and moral analogy. and symbolic functionalism from organic and moral analogy. Since fashion design has much closer relation to human body and movements. it has been expressed considering a division of men and women and the places and times for the designs more than other designs. More casual manners of formal wear are distinct elements in functionalist fashion design in the 1990s. The 20th century general cultural phenomena including post modernism can be explained by eclectic functionalism. Functionalism considering Practical and conceptional functions ill continue and techno functionalism and casual functionalism in future fashion design will be expressed more strongly with new technology and casual trends of life style.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
• /
• v.26 no.10
• /
• pp.1455-1466
• /
• 2002

This research focuses on functionalism in American fashion designs which have become the center of public attention in recent. First, documentary studies about how functionalism, which originated in Europe in the beginning of the 20th century, has been developed throughout the 20th century were preceded Second, content analysis was done for the articles, including the word ‘unction’,‘utility’ and ‘practical’in the New York Times and American Vogue from January 1990 to January 2001. As a result, functionalism in 1990s has been developed in different ways from the mechanical, organic, and mea analogies of functionalism in the beginning of 20th century. It doesn't belong to an analogy but has the fused characteristics of those three analogies. It can be classified into techno functionalism influenced by new technology, pure functionalism related to minimalism, sports casual functionalism for those who are crazy about the speed and sports and enjoy the freedom and comfort, and symbolic functionalism which stresses Zen style. More casual manners of formal wear are distinct elements in functionalist fashion design in 1990s. It leads to strong expressions of sports casual functionalism, which plays a great role in sportswear industry of American fashion design. The American fashion designers who were mentioned often in the articles were Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Ralph lauren and Tommy Hilfiger. As well as their works have common formative features based on functionalism, each of them shows his/her own strung color. A]1 of these designers make American fashion design, which can be defined as casual wear or sportswear, very popular worldwide based on the developed American functionalism. Functionalism considering practical and conceptional functions will continue in coming century and techno functionalism and sports casual functionalism in future fashion designs wilt be expressed more strongly with new technology and casual trends of life style.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
• /
• v.32 no.8
• /
• pp.1309-1321
• /
• 2008

Military style is not limited to a single period but represents various image communications related to items, synthetic images and different periodical culture backgrounds. The purpose of this study is to define the communicational function of the military style beginning from the 1st world war up to the modern days, and furthermore explain the characteristics and contents of military styles in different periods by studying the nowadays various symbols of the military style in denotative and connotative aspects. The research method is documentary studies through the literature and academic paper, and examined masters' and doctors' thesis, domestic and overseas books and fashion magazines, photographs and materials collected from the internet. As a result, first, the military style is a significant fashion code in understanding modern fashion by serving as a strong communication function representing people’s ritual through various image items called the 'military look'. Second, the meaning of the image communication through military look changed throughout the different periods. During the 1st and 2nd World war the military look supported Fascism by serving as a media representing extreme patriotism and at the same time social images like functionalism, women liberation, regulation and saving. During the cold war period it was used by young progressives like hippies and punks to send an opposing message towards war and commercialism. Since then up to the 80s it was a medium representing the ‘new role of women’, who possess same social rights and power as the men. However in the 90s the military style had to go through a paradigm transition period. Since this period it got affected by the post modernism and designers, consumers alike adopted military style to create unique beauty It can also be said that it began to be used as a pure fashion code representing intertextuality. It was rather expressed as a metonymy than a metaphor and combined with elegance and feminine factor, which contrasts to the original military concept, it now represents totally new hybrids such as difference, dissemination and varieties.

• Archives of design research
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.37-48
• /
• 2004

Keiji Kobo is a unique self-generated design research group in Japan, which was founded in 1928 when Bauhaus movement was in its peak, and which lasted ten years until the end of the Second World War, when any activity of the group became virtually impossible due to the war. With insight to see the future, the group aimed at Modern Design advocating a new spirit in architecture, and played a significant role in prosperity of Japanese Modern Design assimilating Western design trends. Pursuing of craft works for everyday life--practical furniture works--Keiji Kobo actively executed various projects to realize modern philosophy. The range of the works of this group was very large: survey, mock-up, experiment, research, exhibition, lecture, order-based sale, advertising and writing. The works of the group were oriented to serious academicism, not compromising with commercialism. Considering the peculiar political situation such as Japanese Militarism, the spirit of functionalism that the group pursued was surprisingly academical and pure. This group was relatively small and clumsy, which lasted as short as around ten years. However, strong motivation was in their seemingly quiet movements, and the influence of the group cannot be underestimated even with today's criteria. There were a number of pioneers who contributed to today's prosperity of Japan and Keiji Kobo can be estimated to be one of the pioneers in the field of design. It was found that the contemporary intellectuals hoped that the committment and activity of the group would contribute to modernization of the life quality of ordinary people. In a sense, Keiji Kobo can be estimated to be a little Japanese equivalent for Bauhaus that could not fully bloom.