• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.151-163
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• 2023

This study aims to explore the perceptions of MZ's on eco-friendly consumption and their preferences for eco-friendly souvenirs. The top reasons for buying upcycling products include design, price, differentiation, and environmentalism, with design having the most influence on product purchase. Design is also a top consideration when buying upcycling souvenirs. Regarding environmental issues, they were most aware of the seriousness of environmental pollution and thought that recycling of fashion products was necessary. When it comes to eco-friendly fashion purchasing behaviors, the most common choice is to buy clothes that will last longer than those that are in fashion. Upcycling products are more likely to be purchased when there is a concern for the environment or an interest in eco-friendly products. In addition, those who have purchased upcycling products are more likely to be aware of and interested in eco-friendly fashion products and recycling of fashion products. Women are more likely than men to be concerned about environmental issues, and women are also more likely to be aware of upcycling souvenirs. In future research, it would be useful to study the relationship between upcycling products, environmental issues, consumer behavior, and upcycling souvenirs.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.131-148
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• 2021

Upcycling is a sustainable way to recycle waste resources and solve the global problem of environmental pollution. Upcycling is now attracting attention as fiberization and the disposal of waste clothing have become a serious issue. However, the customer's willingness to purchase upcycled products should be increased by propagating that the product value of a reborn commodity is of high value; these products are meant for new purposes and prepared with recycled materials. In this study, we created 11 designer items by applying an eco-friendly concept in the design process of upcycled textiles and products. From 2020 to 2021, a PBL(Problem Based Learning) curriculum was taught in design planning classes. The final 11 design items were derived after developing an eco-friendly product design for upcycled textiles. These final items were as follows: 5 fashion bags, 3 dog products, 1 clothing, 1 fashion accessory, and 1 sanitary mask design. In order to develop only one aesthetic design idea for upcycling, we considered the following features: user-centered convenience, functionality, and practicality. Then, tie-dye, drawing, patchwork, and embroidery were used to create innovative design items. The product design of recycled materials is based on high functionality, waterproofing, and the use of organic natural materials. The results of this study indicate that the creative product design of upcycling has contributed to a sustainable and eco-friendly environment. Related research studies must be conducted for innovating the continuous design process of the future.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.66 no.7
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• pp.109-123
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to examine the expression techniques and methods of Upcycling fashion brands and designers who have focused on Upcycling, and have found success. The study used collected literatures, press releases, and Internet searches using the word, 'Upcycling' in order to investigate the design characteristics and to set up criteria to classify the material expression techniques found in Upcycling fashion design. The results are as follows: Firstly, according to the result of analyzing the product images of Upcycling fashion design, the most frequently used expression methods are deconstruction and reorganization, $d{\acute{e}}paysement$, and assemblage/collage. Deconstruction and reorganization is used to make most of the Upcycling fashion design products using recycled materials. It is one of the ways to create new value that transcends the value of the previous item. Secondly, Upcycling fashion design's expression techniques generally attempt to use recycling material diversely to complement the recycling material that is limited in some way to the purpose of clothing. In this process, we can find expression techniques used to bring out) the characteristics of Upcycling fashion design. Patching, adding, cutting, folding, or weaving is the technique mainly employed.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.899-918
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• 2018

Upcycling is the process of repurposing abandoned resources or useless products into products of better quality or higher environmental value. Upcycling products are evaluated to be sustainable because they demonstrate environmental values. However, domestic upcycling companies are operating on a small scale with a slow growth rate. This study aims to examine the value and risk factors of upcycling products from previous literature and clarify the effect of these ambivalent characteristics on purchase intention. This provides direction regarding factors upcycling companies should focus on. The data were collected via an online experiment with women in their 20s and 30s residing in South Korea, nationwide. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 18.0. Analysis of this data suggests that environmental, design, and self-expression value positively affect purchase intention. This extends previous upcycling literature by identifying design and self-expression value as important antecedents of purchase intention. However, in contrast to previous literature, no significant effect of performance or diversity risk was found. These results indicate that ethical attitude has a moderating effect on the relationship between environmental value and purchase intention. This study confirms that consumers intend to purchase upcycling products when they possess not only environmental value but also design and self-expression value.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.216-226
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• 2015

This study identifies factors of perceived risk of up-cycling fashion products and investigates perceived risk factors that influence consumers' trust, purchase intention, and recommendation intention towards upcycling fashion products. We also examine the relationship of trust, purchase intention, and recommendation intention for upcycling fashion products. A qualitative research method using a free narrative form and depth interview were used. The perceived risk from up-cycling fashion products generated 5 factor solutions: aesthetic risk, sanitary risk, social risk, performance risk, and economic risk. Next, 201 effective data were collected from a questionnaire survey and analyzed with SPSS 22.0. The results are summarized as follows. First, aesthetic risk and performance risk had a negative effect on products. Second, aesthetic risk and performance risk had negative influence on purchase intention for upcycling fashion products. Third, performance risk had a negative impact on recommendation intention for upcycling fashion products. Fourth, trust had positive effect on purchase intention and recommendation intention for upcycling fashion products. The results of the current study provides various theoretical and practical implications for marketers and retailers interested in up-cycling fashion products.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.125-138
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• 2024

The purpose of this study is to develop and implement a step-by-step upcycling fashion education program that can be utilized within the local community. This program aims to provide basic data by analyzing the current state of community-based upcycling projects and upcycling center programs. To achieve this, the study first examined the meaning and value of upcycling in fashion through literature research and explored upcycling projects and programs in connection with local communities. Subsequently, an upcycling fashion education program platform was developed and applied using the design thinking process. The program involved students from nine high schools in Gwangju Metropolitan City. Depending on the school's circumstances, the time and difficulty level of the upcycling education program were adjusted accordingly. A unique eco-bag making kit, using jeans developed in this study, was employed. Following the completion of the program, a satisfaction survey was conducted among 167 participating students from the high school community class. The findings indicated that the majority of students experienced an increased appreciation, attraction, and interest in upcycling products. They also demonstrated an understanding of the environmental impact of upcycling products and the distinction between upcycling and recycling. It is believed that the educational program developed in this study can promote ethical fashion and foster a sense of value-based consumption. This program can be customized and flexibly adapted to different educational levels and institutional characteristics, making it accessible to a wide range of learners.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.89-99
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• 2014

Purchasing behavior for upcycled fashion products was examined along with analysis on environment consciousness, clothing recycling behavior, interest in fashion and awareness of upcycling. Students from middle schools, general high schools and design high schools participated in this research from August to September in 2013. 732 questionnaires were analyzed by SPSS WIN. Firstly the levels of environmental consciousness, clothing recycling behavior and interest in fashion of students were high, low and mediate respectively. Female students showed higher environmental consciousness compared to male ones and clothing recycling behavior were found to be higher in students of design high schools than those of general ones. The level of interest in fashion was found to be higher in students of general high school than those of middle school, and this was higher in design high school students than those of general ones. Secondly, more than half of students were unaware of upcycling. Female students and students of design high schools were highly aware of upcycling. Students who were aware of upcycling showed high level of environmental consciousness, clothing recycling behaviour and interest in fashion. Thirdly, students had low experiences in purchasing upcycled fashion products and the reason was lack of awareness of upcycling. The reason that students purchased upcycled fashion products was the uniqueness and design. Students who purchased upcycled fashion products showed high environmental consciousness, clothing recycling behaviour, and interest in fashion.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.984-1003
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• 2020

The global fashion industry produces significant carbon emission and micro-plastics in oceans. Studies on sustainable design methods as such environmental issues in fashion are becoming intensely problematic. This study conducted a case study on 100 upcycle fashion brands to propose strategical upcycle fashion designs to compete in a sustainable fashion market. A literature review indicated that 3 types of textile wastes are generated as upcycling materials: post-producer, pre-consumer and post-consumer. Wastes are categorized together with 3 types of techniques: redesigning, reconstruction and handcrafting. This research derived 7 types of upcycle fashion designs that have the following features: to make luxury upcycle fashion products, to make sustainable grunge looks, to re-evaluate deadstocks, to recover vintage clothes, to convert waste into craft-arts, to offer solutions for damaged products, and to make zero-waste small fabric waste. The study results show that key drivers in the upcycle fashion design are the redesignability of materials and technique-related costs. This study implies that adopting appropriate design features can be a useful strategy for designers. New technologies will solve current problems and encourage them to design products in a new circular value system.

• Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.49-58
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• 2016

In modern society, designers started feeling moral and social responsibility in the aspect of environment as a position of suggesting something new. Rather than creating another waste to make something innovative, the concept of Upcycling which is about adding design or utilization to the existing recyclable materials to raise their value to products or art works has started settling down. Among them, there have been various researches on the use of offcut waste to be dumped. Such use of waste can be found in Jogakbo (patchwork), one of our traditional boudoir crafts. This could be connected to the concept of the modern Upcycling in the aspect of giving new values to the wasted pieces of fabric through needlework. Therefore, this study suggested Stitch work as new Upcycling furniture by seeking for the common connections between Upcycling and traditional Jogakbo, and then reinterpreting them in the same viewpoint. It was an opportunity not only to rediscover 'the esthetics of waste' by changing the awareness of 'behavior of dumping', but also to reinterpret or reconsider the tradition. Based on this, it is expected to continuously have new attempts to use offcut waste for eco-friendly design in the future, and also to have opportunities to seek for new directions of Upcycling to rediscover new values through the revaluation of valuelessness.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2019

The mass production after the industrialisation and the fast changing fashion cycles in today's world resulted in buying clothes and home textiles more than we need and discarding them before they complete their life cycles. This causes vast amounts of textile waste that creates environmental issues. Upcycling is the creative process of transforming clothing and textile waste by reusing deadstock or used fabric to create new garments and products. It holds importance in terms of sustainability, reducing waste and environmental pollution. During the process of upcycling, certainly the creativity and innovation are the key words because to reuse a product to a better value needs a creative mind, aesthetic consciousness, innovative look and knowledge and it is quite different from a normal design procedure. There is a delicate level of aesthetics which carries the reused materials to a higher value. The handling of the materials, knowing how to manipulate the waste material, the techniques available to apply to surfaces, the concept of two and three dimension on textiles and clothing, contributions of other branches of art such as sculpture and painting all help the designer to reach a higher aesthetic value in the upcycled product in this process. In the study; it was aimed to raise awareness, to attract attention to sustainable fashion and also to contribute to sustainable development as an upcycling design project realized with students in textile and fashion design education taken as an example.