Fusion Hanbok.

Last week I decided to try and make a new hanbok 저고리...

I was asked to write about the modernization of hanbok a month ago...

...but I really wasn't sure about how to approach the topic...

... as hanbok in its present state is very artistic and it expresses Korean historical developments and gender roles...

...so fully modernizing Korean traditional dress looks almost sinful...

Why mess with something that has been successfully utilized for more than 500 years of Korean history?

While aware of that point...

I decided to play around with some hanboks...

Mindful of the fact that the hanbok is a key part of Korean traditions and it is a big part of Korean weddings and other Korean ceremonies...

...there are a couple of things that I would like to closely consider when wearing MY OWN HANBOK...

I deconstructed the 저고리 (top) from the hanbok below;

To consider creating a 'fusion hanbok'...

... I didn't want to diminish the fact that the hanbok essentially expresses modesty...

...at least to the extent that hanbok should NOT convey sexuality...

(nevermind the Gisaeng...I will try to explore the Gisaeng hanbok in the near future...)

However...

...shortening the hanbok may be useful on a purely practical level...

One thing that stops present-day Koreans from wearing hanbok on the subway is the fact that the hanbok 치마 skirt is SO HUGE...

...you literally have to pick up the 치마 skirt to walk up and down stairs, and you have to make sure it doesn't get caught in any doors...

For this reason...

I decided to pair the 저고리 top with business pants...

Because...

a) this is a functional decision and movement is maximized

b) the role of women in Korea has changed dramatically over the past 50 years... so pants seems like a logical progression for a 'fusion hanbok' (at least from my feminist point of view)...

With regards to materials...

I decided to cut up a Dalmation-print vest that I found in my wardrobe...

I have a LOT OF STUFF around the house that I don't really need...

...so I sat in the painting room and sewed the panels into one of my hanbok 저고리 in under 2 hours...

I like using mixed media...

...and I also considered options for making the hanbok warmer since it is still quite cold in Seoul at the moment...



Winter hanboks often utilize fur vests...

...but I decided to go one step further and sew the (*fake*) dalmation fur directly onto the silk hanbok...

My favorite colors are yellow and green...

...so I always try to incorporate something yellow or green into costumes/traditional dress...

...as I believe that yellow and green are lucky colors (not because they are 'Australian colors')

...so I also used the same hanbok tassel (whose traditional Korean name is eluding me right now ㅠ.ㅠ) from an old hanbok...

A lot of hanboks traditionally feature rusty or nature-inspired colors...

...as hanbok silk is dyed using organic pigment dyes...

...but I decided to integrate animal prints into the hanbok...because I love patterns...and I also love Cruella;

(Photo Source: www.velvetcigarette.com)

The result is something that is functional which is still representative of Korean traditional dress...

...but it also demonstrates that hanbok can be utilized by non-Koreans who are curious about Korean customs...