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Communication Through Fashion in Japan
Period 6, 9th Grade Global History
Shammi Ritu, Ye-Ari Kim, and Gianna Bonventre.
Thesis
Fashion in Japan is a form of communication which is influenced by culture, ideologies, time, and society.
Introduction
Now we know kimonos as an article of traditional clothing from japan but it wasn't always called kimono. But it did go through many evolutions the first dating back to almost the Heian period from 794-1192. From there they started the journey of communication through clothing.
Fashion Can be Interpreted in Many Different Ways.
-Ye-Ari Kim
The Japanese artist, Shojono Tomo, has made several illustrations, comics, and music. She became an independent free lancer in 1990. Shojono creates many eye catching pieces of art based off of what she sees in life. According to this document, Tomo talks about how she uses her fashion as a way to talking to others.
Her response in an interview states, " I think fashion is goods that appeal to the real person within and individual characteristics. For me fashion is more like a tool of communication, a way for me to send messages to others." She also says, "Recently though I got a comment from a person about my illustrations, they asked what I was so angry about... I am not sure about this but perhaps they have a point, they interpreted my work and maybe uncovered something I was not aware of." People may perceive her fashion and interpret different feelings and ideas.
Shojono Tomo sees life in a different lens than most people, and she communicates her point of view through fashion. On top of that, her fashion is a way of rebelling against the traditional stereotype of a Japanese girl. Tomo states, "I have to say I am not entirely comfortable with common catch-phrases in Japan such as “Girls should be cute”. I would say that if my clothes are considered cute then they are a salty kind of sweetness not like sugary sweet."
This image on the right is one of Shojono Tomo's designed pieces called "Hula Hoop Rock Star t-shirt". In the interview she talks about how she finds hula hoops very fascinating and how it "gives new dimension" to the waist. Shojono Tomo used the colors pink and black to show her cute, yet punk rock style.
This is another piece created by Shojono Tomo. As you can see, the person in the picture is wearing very eye catching clothing and seems to be calling on a corded telephone. This picture is trying to depict how fashion can be a form of communication. You can see how Shojono Tomo used pink and black again in her clothing. Another detail that you can spot is the man wearing formal work clothing on the left, really showing the contrast between her style and the average person in Japan.
Conclusion
This concludes our argument about how people in Japan communicate through fashion. Clothing in Japan evolved a lot over time. Some trends from old fashion are still present now. Fashion in Japan spread worldwide, connecting people everywhere just by clothing.
Communication Through fashion in Japan
01
KIMONO'S
02
Yukata's
03
Western Inspired Fashion
04
Street Style Fashion
