Show highlights transition of 'hanbok' in 1920s

First opened in 1905, the former Seoul Station that now serves as a cultural complex was a befitting choice of venue to show the transformation of "hanbok" since the 1920s.

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The Korean traditional dress is associated mainly with formal occasions and perceived as irrelevant to everyday life. But sublime variations of hanbok can be practical and fashionable, as demonstrated during a recent fashion show held at the what is now known as the Culture Station Seoul 284 after a three-year restoration project.

Held under the theme "Modern Women - the Fashion Leader", the show is part of the Hanbok Festival 2011 organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to continue through Sunday.

Here, the modern women refer to a rare breed of fashion-conscious women in the 1920-30s that went to school or received higher education and ladies of royal and nobility classes.

"We planned the show for people to see how hanbok transformed itself to adjust to the changing times. Our focus was on reproducing the fashion trend as it were", said Seo Young-hee, a Vogue Korea stylist, during a press conference at the station last week.

As the show's artistic director, Seo said she met women who are now in their 90s to do research on what the school girls wore at the time. "Their testimony was very useful in creating this show", Seo added.

"The festival was designed as a platform to witness the beauty and international appeal of our traditional clothing", Choi Jung-shim, president of the Korea Craft and Design Foundation said.

During the height of the Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945), fashion underwent a rapid transition due to Western influences.
The handbag, for example, was first introduced to Korean women at this time. As the handbags became more common, the women's clothing began to change as well. Educated women at this time began to wear a variation of hanbok with a shorter skirt.

The show displayed works by six renowned hanbok designers, including trend-leaders like Kim Young-jin and Park Seon-ok, who recreated women from various walks of life in Seoul in the 1920-30s.

Designer Cho Jin-woo showed modern hanbok creations that were inspired by articles on hanbok from Maeil Shinbo newspaper in 1932. Park Seon-ok's works were motivated by the look of leading 1930s dancer Choi Seung-hee (1911-1969).

One of the pieces from the catwalk will be featured in the upcoming International Heritage Show Nov. 3-6 at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris.

"The hanbok that will be sent to the Louvre will introduce to the world Korea's tradition and culture", said Bang Sun-gyu, a director-general at the culture ministry.

The festival also includes an exhibition of hanbok as well as must-have fashion items of the time and a seminar on the future of the traditional Korean dress will take place in November.

Visitors can view trendy sunglasses, bags and shoes that were part of the 1920s look during the exhibition, which will run until Sunday. These items are gathered from various museums in Seoul.

Organizers plan to make the Hanbok Festival an annual event. Last year, it was held at Changdeok Palace.

For more information, visit www.hanboksarang.kr

By Do Je-hae