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한국복식학회(IJCF) 학술지영문홈페이지
[ Article ]
International Journal of Costume and Fashion - Vol. 25, No. 2, pp.17-35
ISSN: 2233-9051 (Print) 2288-7490 (Online)
Print publication date 31 Dec 2025
Received 07 Apr 2025 Revised 28 Jul 2025 Accepted 14 Aug 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7233/ijcf.2025.25.2.017

Traditional Culture and Its Influence on Contemporary Fashion Design: A Multi-Level Analysis

Alfonso Noel Núñez Barranco ; Hwa Kyung Song†
PhD, Dept. of Clothing and Textiles, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
Professor, Dept. of Clothing and Textiles, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence to: † hksong@khu.ac.kr

Citation Núñez Barranco, A. N. & Song, H. K. (2025). Traditional culture and its influence on contemporary fashion design: A Multi-Level Analysis. International Journal of Costume and Fashion, 25(2), 17-35.

Abstract

This study examines how traditional culture shapes contemporary fashion design through three interconnected levels—intangible, behavioral, and tangible—within the spatial perspective of culture (Leong & Clark, 2003). Addressing a research gap, it employs a structured methodology combining expert case selection, thematic mapping, and visual analysis of 16 fashion cases. Interpretation is enriched through three design dimensions—reflective, behavioral, and visceral—adapted from Norman (2004) via Lin (2005). The findings reveal fashion as a living cultural system in which tradition is dynamically reinterpreted in relation to contemporary values, social behaviors, and environmental challenges. At the intangible level, emotions, symbols, and narratives convey cultural values and stories, preserving heritage while enabling renewal. The behavioral level reflects cultural identity, lifestyles, craftsmanship, and utilization, demonstrating fashion’s role in linking heritage and innovation, translating traditional languages into modern communicative forms, and supporting sustainable practices. At the tangible level, color, silhouette, textiles, and decoration express cultural meaning, advance sustainability, and encourage artistic experimentation. Sustainability functions as a transversal principle influencing ethical, aesthetic, and functional decisions across all levels. The proposed visual model synthesizes these interactions, mapping cultural levels to design dimensions and providing a conceptual and practical framework for culturally grounded and sustainable fashion design with future relevance.

Keywords:

Contemporary Fashion, Cultural Level, Design Dimensions, Spatial Perspective of Culture, Traditional Culture

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