• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.1302-1319
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to investigate the means by which designers communicate their philosophies and messages through fashion exhibitions, which are one of the communication methods that use visual images, by focusing on the aesthetics of fashion exhibition design. For this study, previous studies related to design exhibitions were analyzed, in addition to the related theoretical background, by examining the existing literature and conducting an illustrative study on fashion exhibitions. Our illustrative study focused on the aesthetic meanings of exhibitions held by the fashion brand Maison Martin Margiela over the past 10 years. According to our analyses, the fashion philosophy of fashion designer Martin Margiela's was reflected by Maison Martin Margiela in the exhibition design. After studying the features of Maison Martin Margiela's exhibition design, the inner values of deconstructivism and mysticism and appearance techniques of trompe-l'oeil, white spirit and assemblage were observed. This study aims to supply basic data for an active research on consilience and communication conducted in fashion communication field through a fashion exhibition designed to be seen as a work, an objet of the exhibition. In-depth studies on the cultural and aesthetical aspects of fashion exhibitions should be carried out, not only based on the sense of sight but also the senses of touch and hearing. Next, theories should be established on fashion scenography, to consider the use of the space design of fashion shows, presentations and advertising and movies to communicate fashion.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.191-206
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• 2016

A designer representing an avant guard fashion, Martin Margiela introduces experimental collections that seek ideational and ideal values, breaking away from limits of popular universality or usefulness of fashion. This study seeks to interpret Martin Margiela's design characteristics from the perspective of ambiguity, and thereby examine theoretical basis of meaning interpretation of his ambiguous and innovative design. In poetic meaning ambiguity is verbal nuance which gives room for alternative reaction the same piece of language. By way of study methods, concepts and characteristics of ambiguity were examined based on William Empson's seven types of ambiguity, and characteristics of Martin Margiela's fashion design were analyzed from the perspective of ambiguity. In the study, expression of ambiguity in Martin Margiela's fashion design was categorized into ambiguity of forms, that of meanings, and that of existence. Ambiguity of forms could be found indeterminate form of clothes and flat clothes. Ambiguity of meaning refers to ambiguity arising from the possibility of the meaning that fashion design is going to convey diverse interpretation. Ambiguity of meaning could be found up-cycling vintage clothes, semi-couture, signs of time, unfitting size, and symbolic letter. Ambiguity of existence could be found inanimate dummy, face shrouded with a veil and expression of multiple identity. In Martin Margiela's fashion design ambiguity gives rise to joy of something fresh, amusement felt about what deviates from normality and the possibility of fashion design's endless creations.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.55-67
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• 2013

The root of cultural and artistic diversity of modern society goes hand in hand with the appearance of new art concepts that started during the social and cultural turmoil. These concepts crossed the boundaries of traditional and universal aesthetic concepts and value criteria. Since there is a close relationship between the fashion industry and the cultural flow of its times, the purpose of this study is to investigate the influences and applications of conceptual art, which became one of the big frameworks of contemporary art on fashion. The study thus sets out to develop and analyze the collections of Hussein Chalayan and Martin Margiela, who were fashion designers that pursued conceptual and ideal values, from the perspective of conceptual art. The goal was to examine the conceptual thoughts they sought after, and to understand their expressive determinations that they pursued conceptually as well as the superficial formativeness of their works. The characteristics according to the expressive methods and conceptual intentions of conceptual art that specified concepts and ideas were as follows: readymade symbolized objects, expanded intervention, data form from process of changing and implementation, and language as visual metaphors. Then those characteristics of conceptual art were used in this study to analyze the collections of Chalayan and Margiela. As a result, both designers applied and mixed many characteristics of the expressive methods of conceptual art. In modern society, art and fashion share a cultural identity and it can be said that it is an accurate reflection of the time. They are not separate genres. Just like the unique flow of modern society that creates new concepts through mixture and infusion of different disciplines, fashion is included in the domain of art. In addition, understanding and studying other disciplines can make a huge contribution to the growth and development of fashion.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.115-134
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• 2009

This study is about Christian Dior's and Martin Margiela's fashion works that create 'New look' which leads the periodic ideology, philosophies, circumstances and the trend at that time. For the systematized interpretation, this study investigates the iconology of E. Panofsky, E. H. Gombrich and N. Goodman. Based on their theories, iconological analysis paradigm is made into four phases: I. Recognition of iconological form, II. Analysis of External Elements, III. Analysis of symbolic meanings and artistic will and IV. Aesthetic enjoyment and communication with a viewer. Christian Dior treats woman as a organic and architectural structure. He falls in love with himself such as narcissus and woman who wears his works. Dior's ego is visualized by woman and his works which are the symbol of narcissism and beauty. Martin Margiela makes form of clothes and at the same time destroys. Margiela deconstructs aura of clothes and tries to make it unfamiliar. Also he changes traditional idea of beauty and creates 'ugliness' which is a notion of dialectic. Margiela transforms elements of clothes which brings variation of thinking and makes it possible to create new look. Christian Dior and Martin Margiela are the creators of new look which visualizes the notion of habitus that is the space of self-exists. Fashion dose not have to be what people wears but it could be an image itself. It means that fashion is a part of ontology and it is a 'New look' which is based on economy, the standard of periodical beauty and ideal aspects. The creation of clothes is a work of embodiment of human being where it constructed or deconstructed.