Dressing for authenticity: navigating Italian fashion's social influence

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Bella Testa authored an article which called ' The power of dress: how fashion was used in Fascist Italy to promote a "new Italian" identity' and she started with "fashion has always been important to Italians. It is a way to express yourself: you can show off your personal style, social status, where you’re from, and who or what you support".

In fact, I notice that in Italy have a significant social emphasis on personal presentation, where everyone trying to have a confirmation by the society. If you fail to follow the trends and instead you trying to express yourself, it may lead to exclusion and judgements based on your wardrobe choices. Therefore, in Sicily there is a proverb '' eat and drink according your taste, dress according to other people's taste''. This is show what is the real Italian aesthetic and the way their code dress has huge social meaning.

The historical evolution of Italian fashion was begun with the Renaissance period, in Florence which is known for fashion innovation and aristocratic influence. Since then, clothing and accessories were not extremely expensive but is fundamental elements in the society system of how the society dress.

https://www.ibs.it/elogio-degli-uccelli-dialogo-della-ebook-giacomo-leopardi/e/9788881674305

In the 19th century an Italian poet, Giacomo Leopardi authored a book which called '' Elogio degli uccelli '' it presented a '' dialogue between fashion and death'' which talks about their sisterhood. He thinks they have a strong bond between fashion and death. Therefore, he looks with mistrust and irritation for modern times and despises new-born society of the industrial production and consider the word ''fashion'' a symbol of the image and the arrogance of the modern times and consumerism. Because of it for Leopardi, fashion is sister of death which for him means they help each other's.

From my prospective view, fashion industry tends to emerge trends which consequent to gain a social attraction. However, is evident that the changing trends can lead to out of fashion, by that it demands to birth a new fresh trend. In present-day, society rise of latest trends is influenced by celebrities like models, singers, actors and etc. Their lifestyles and choices aim to control the general population. This phenomenon you can witness over social media platforms, where all single persons are controlled to show their properties and their lifestyles. Consequently, there is an influence of social obsession with the outside presentation, often at the value of natural self-expression. Moreover, at school you can find pupils who frequently encounter bullying situated on their lifestyle, appearance and even their own personality. In conclusion, many people transmit an idealised image of persona that does not truly express and the first way to show is fashion.

The Korean Wave : Hallyu Exhibition

Tuesday 15th November I went Victoria and Albert museum to visit an exhibition called ' The Korean Wave: Hallyu '. Is a showcase of the colourful and dynamic popular culture of South Korea, in there you can explore the Korean wave and its global impact on the creative industries of cinema, drama, music, beauty and fashion.

Hallyu is a word which defined the popularity of the culture of the Korea, including K- pop music and K-dramas. Hallyu it was used in the 90s and in middle 2000s through the success of the Korean music industry which is correspond with the global rise of internet, social media and Gen - Z. For achieve its economic determination by investing in information and communication technologies and culture industries which led to growth its international standing through ' soft power ' of culture, therefore, with support of Korean government and finance.

When you entered to the exhibition, the first thing you can see and hear is ' Oppan Gangnam Style ' . On 15 July 2012 Park Jae-Sang is a South Korean singer, songwriter and producer which all known as PSY, he became very famous after the launched the song 'Oppan Gangnam Style' launched on youtube. The music video went viral overnight and had viewing records. Some people got inspired to make numerous parodies and prestigious awards and global followers. In 2014 the song had over 2 billion views on youtube and thanks for it PSY put South Korea on the map for people around the world.

In the 20th century in Korea was marked by long and successions of disastrous events, including Japanese colonial rule (1910-45), the Cold War which adage its area arbitrarily divided in 1945, North under the trusteeship of the Soviet Union and the South of the Americans and the Korean War (1950-53). At that time there was no peace between North and South Korea and still remain the war today.

In South Korea speedily evolved from a country ravaged by the war in late 1950s to leading cultural powerhouse by the early 2000s. The modern history is explored and analysed in the exhibition through photography, posters and achieve materials, at the side of objects ranging from Olympics posters to early examples of electronics.

Therefore, in another section you can find K-drama and cinema, from late of 1990s to the present day there are remarkable success of K-drama and film turn their rise in popularity through the multimedia, installations, posters, storyboards and costumes. In the exhibition there is a section include the icon of pink guard costumes and green tracksuit from the most famous Netflix series ' Squid Game ' and there is a recreation of the bathroom set from Bong Joon - Ho's Oscar winning film ' Parasite '.

On K- drama 'Squid Game' there is a minimalist retro fashion inspired by old children's books and vintage publications. The 70s tracksuit aesthetic in the contrasting colours of pink and green was part of the attraction of the crime - thriller - sci - fi drama. The significance in white Vans and white vests, which are constantly worn by all contestants. The pleasure of an easy to wear tracksuits it is carrying beyond the limits, especially for work from home wardrobe.

Chae Kyung - Sung revealed that the reason to choose the two colours pink and green were on purpose to amplify the contrast between the contestants and the guards ' we wanted to use pink to imply doing something unusual. That way we could symbolise pink as double - sided element that could deliver a twist to depict the cruel world ' .

Hallyu has positioned Korea as a global trendsetter in beauty and fashion. K-fashion is an eminence with a refresh of an interpretation 'Hanbok', the traditional Korean garment and versatile, fast moving and mix and matching approach to fashion. As you can see from the pictures Korean designers are full explosion of luxury with a casual street-style to form particular looks that are invite to young generation of consumers on both inside the country and beyond.

In other hand, the traditional Korean dress are similar of kimonos. In the late 19th century Korean people were differentiate their dresses from a recent influence western - style clothing. A century later, western clothing had overtaken Hanbok as the main style of dress reserved by Koreans, in turn, hanbok became more a traditional dress for ceremony which are reserved for holidays celebrations, events, weddings and funerals.

New generation of fashion designers have recreate hanbok for new audiences, through the collaborations they did with K-Pop group and K- Dramas. Modern designers have bring new life to hanbok and added an international interest as Korean culture continues to increase quickly on a global stage. Hanbok is not describe a certain design or shape of clothes instead serves as an umbrella term that surround thousand of years of Korean clothing. It has variations across the times with fluctuating sleeve length and width, silhouettes and dress folds. Furthermore, a Hanbok consists of a top piece and bottom piece with a cut and sewn flat, the tops are wrapped and tied together with a one-looped bow called Goreum .

The reason all hanbok are cut and sewn on flat surface is because it helps to reduce the amount of the fabric that be going to waste and with any leftover pieces which are being used as decorations for the sleeves .

The four main textiles fabric for make a hanbok are silk, hemp, ramie and cotton. Therefore, to create symbols and patterns, they used to painted on fabrics or block printed, tie-dyed, wax or starch resist dyed and decorated with extremely thin gold leaf.

Fashion Rebellion

After the Second World War the American was not affected much by the War, Russia was seem as an enemy and dangerous, which still are , because at that time they were creating nuclear and dangerous weapons, still now countries are scared of Russia.

From 1955 to 1975 there was Vietnam War and during this period young people did not want go to war, it has a massive affect on American society and the rest of the country. The reason is they were opposed the war on moral grounds, shocked by the devastation and the violence during the war. On the 1st festival in American there wasn't only a good experience of music but they get together and protest to the Vietnamese War. As a form of the protest to not go to war they used to protest in the opposite way. Along side of this, the society started to looked dangerous as a way of form to a revolution.

People started to wear clothes from charity shops which are made by them, which it was more hippie look. People were dressing in psychedelic prints, highlighter colours, mismatched patterns. Moreover, the hippie movement it became a strong influence on ladies clothing styles which are including bell-bottom jeans, tie-dye, batik fabrics and paisley prints. This particular style was popular in the late 1960s and 1970s because it is comfortable to wear, also, represented a counterculture movement to make changes in society, the change they wanted to make for the society is develop a life of love, a life of peace and happiness and supporting freedom.

Vivienne Westwood is a British fashion designer known as for her provocative clothing. In the 1970s she extended the influence of punk music movement into fashion. Vivienne and Malcom McLaren shaped punk fashion and imposed the esthetic canons of the movement that nowadays we know. Narrow silhouettes, safety pins, white t-shirts with swastika.

Vivienne Westwood plays with British tradition and upset its govern and attracting the attention of the media and the entire of the fashion world. Carlo D'Amario is a revolutionary, extremist and businessman which convinces her to move her production to Italy and it confirmed her commercial success.

Vivienne began by designed and making 'Teddy Boy ' clothes for Malcom in 1971. The 'Teddy Boy' style began in 1950s in England when young men wore clothes inspired by the dandies of Edwardian era. The original name was ' Cosh Boys ' until daily express shortened 'Edwardian' to 'Teddy' for a headline in 1953.

In early 1980s Vivienne split from Malcom to established her own brand and she continued to push back against traditional society and you can see it in her SS 1985 collection which featured the ' Mini - Crini '. It is a modern crinoline undergarment mixed with the miniskirt craze of the 1980s. Moreover, she remade the corset into an object of the liberation but also, has seen as rebirth of love in historic fashion trend.

In the 1974 ABBA was introduced into the world in the stage of the Eurovision song contest and it was made an iconic look for making history. After their victory the look of the ABBA was born, wide bellbottoms, platform boots and mix and match silhouettes. By this look is not only emerged the image of the group but also became a style DNA of Scandinavia.

Most of the ABBA's looks come from the masterminded by Owe Sandtrom, a Swedish high school teacher with a talent for fashion design. Sandstrom created some of the band's most memorable outfits for the group and its tour costumes.