Traditional dress in fashion: navigating between cultural borrowing and appropriation

Abstract

Conventions that draw inspirations from non-Western culture to create new designs have been generalised and used as a design development method in contemporary fashion. However, discussions on appropriation in fashion become urgent when minority cultures are being exploited with an unintended image and commercialisation. This study analysed formative characteristics of four non-Korean brand collections that used hanbok as a motif and presented criteria for distinguishing cultural appropriation from borrowing. The results included the following three attributes: partial application of hanbok structure, use of hanbok’s formative elements deprived of functional aspect, and juxtaposition of hanbok with other Asian dresses. We examined these findings as cultural appropriation or borrowing based on respect for the traditional dress and practical compensation for the community. Consequently, this study found partial to extensive cultural appropriation in reproducing hanbok elements superficially without sufficient narrative and in mixing hanbok with sartorial elements of other Asian cultures. © The Textile Institute and Informa UK Ltd 2023.