Ji-Soo Ha

A Study of Fashion Influenced by Dystopian Ideas

This study investigates the relationship between dystopian ideas and fashion since the century and examines the social meaning of fashion influenced by dystopian ideas. From the 1900s to the 1950s, the idea of dehumanization by authoritarian governments and technology gave rise to fashion for freedom and self-introspection, which includes surrealistic fashion and beat style. In the 1980s and 1990s, a society marked by monopolistic power and the hi-tech control of humans was regarded as dystopia. It influenced a fashion that expressed dehumanization by hi-tech means such as cyberpunk style and designs that depicted or used electronic elements. The ongoing fear of ecological disaster since the late century also influenced designers to present collections concerned with environmental problems. Designers have created designs with printed messages on environmental issues or designs that express environmental devastation, and protective designs that use hi-tech fabrics or mechanical devices. Fashion influenced by dystopian ideas expressed contemporary fears, provided a critical view of society through defamiliarization, and sought problem-solving actions and alternatives to change or cope with the dystopian situation. Dystopian fashion gave society a chance to face contemporary problems and pursue a better society.

A Study on Tecktonik Culture and Fashion

The purpose of this study is to understand the Tecktonik culture and fashion, and to compare its features in Korea and France. Unlike prior studies which mainly dealt with subcultures in the U. S. and the U. K., this study paid attention to the condition of Korea. Tecktonik is a dance and music craze that originated in France in 2000, and spread worldwide via the Internet. The main features of Tecktonik fashion are slim fit, vivid colors, and high-top sneakers, which represent current fashion and culture trends, and express the feeling of Tecktonik music and dance. Compared to France, Korean Tecktonik fashion emphasizes sexual attraction of women with short skirt, while men are conservative about mohican hairstyle and dark make-up. In France, Tecktonik has become a sound social amusement, while in Korea it has been used for advertisements or entertainers fashion style. The subcultural characteristics of Tecktonik were identified as playfulness, the active use of digital media, and high commercial value. In France where Tecktonik is for participating in a joyful dance, playfulness is prominent, and in Korea where Tecktonik acts as a visual entertainment, commercial value is outstanding. It has made differences in Tecktonik fashion of the two countries.

Ubiquitous Fashionable Computer Design for Hospital Clothing

The purpose of this study is to suggest hospital clothing design which reflects ubiquitous info-communications technology as changing hospital environment in the information-oriented era of the 21st century. The methods of this study are documentary research of previous studies, observation research and deep interviews. Seoul national university hospital is selected as a target of observation for this study. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and patients who are the representative jobs in the hospital are interviewed from on July, 13, 2006 to on August, 1, 2006. According to observation research, the computers, OCR, and PACS are applied from registration to dosage through all courses of diagnosis. However, the most inconvenient problems to patients are the location of medical offices and confusion of reservation. Also, the needs and inconveniences of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and patients are almost solved by using RFID technology as a result of deep interviews. They prefer wearing devices as an accessory to wearing devices as a clothing directly. In conclusion, suggested UFC design for hospital clothing with info-communications technology promotes efficiency, accuracy, convenience of work to medical personnel in changing hospital environment as the flow of the information-oriented era of the 21st century.