An Examination on the Interpretation of Tradition in Fashion Design and Constituting National Fashion Identity

Abstract

The tradition, which is known to be an undeniably effective factor in shaping the life styles of communities, has been understood and positioned in various ways throughout history. The tradition, which has changed in the historical process, is today one of the reference sources for writers, artists and designers, and it is interpreted as a theme by fashion designers as well as art and literature fields. In terms of fashion design, the issue of interpretation of tradition, on which various discussions have been made, maintains its importance and currency in terms of the national fashion identities. As a result of the constant need for change in the fashion industry, which possesses a large economic market today, it is observed that traditions belonging to different cultures are used in fashion design, sometimes close to their original form, sometimes with an abstract expressionist approach. It is noteworthy that fashion designers include tradition in their designs in order to respond to the need for change and take part in the fashion market. It is understood that the interpretation of the tradition in fashion design has an effect on the recognition of the designers, the development of the national fashion identities of countries and the visibility of the traditional culture in various environments. In this context, the aim of the study is to analyze how tradition is interpreted in fashion design and how the interpretation of tradition affects the national fashion identities of countries. Study data were obtained by reviewing the literature that includes tradition, fashion design, interpretation of tradition, national identity, national fashion concepts and definitions related to these concepts. Within the scope of the study, the concept of tradition was examined with the approaches determined from the literature review and the meaning of the concept for societies in various disciplines was examined. Views about the characteristics of the tradition and the effects of its interpretations in fields such as art and linguistics are included. The relationship between the interpretation of tradition in fashion design and national fashion identity is briefly addressed through the phenomenon of national fashion. In the study, the works of fashion designers from various countries were examined based on the interpretation of tradition by Japanese fashion designers, who took their place in the international fashion scene in the 1980s with their unusual styles, and the effects of this situation on the Japanese national fashion identity. Through Japanese designers, it was tried to draw a framework on how Moroccan, Dutch, South African and Chinese fashion designers' interpretation of tradition affects the designers' own national fashion identities, and derived information were analyzed by descriptive analysis method. In addition, it was emphasized that depending on the transformation of fashion in the historical process, designers changed their approach to traditional culture and their interpretation of tradition, and it was emphasized that they could directly contribute to the shaping of national fashion and that traditional culture was effective in shaping the national fashion identity. As the result of the study, it has been concluded that the interpretation of tradition in fashion design has an impact on the tradition itself, as well as the effects it has on the images of designers and the national fashion identities. In this context, based on the characteristics of the tradition, the ideas that the interpretation of the tradition in fashion design justifies the discourses about tradition, are presented in the discussion section.