Hanbok Embodies Age-Old Philosophies. Article from Korea Magazine (January 2014)
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Hanbok embodies age-old philosophies. Article from Korea Magazine (January 2014) There is perhaps no other artifact that captures the richness of Korean cultural heritage as well as Korean traditional attire (customary clothes), known as hanbok. While the origins of hanbok can be traced back millennia (back in time to 1000 years ago) to the ethnic origins of the Korean people, historical records in the form of murals painted during the early period of the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C.–A.D. 668) show that Koreans began to wear a modern form of hanbok as early as the fourth century B.C. The basic design of hanbok comprises of (contain) two pieces, an upper and lower garment (a piece of clothing). The upper garment, the jeogori, is a bolero (a women’s short jacket that is not fastened at the front) blouse-like jacket worn by both women and men. For the lower garment, women wear a chima, a full-blown skirt that reaches past the ankles, and men wear a baji, a pair of roomy trousers. On top of these basic garments, a wide variety of (a diverse mixture of, a wide range of, a vast diversity of) accessories and outerwear can be worn for different seasons and different occasions. The traditional Hanbok is still worn on special occasions today. What is most astonishing about hanbok is the way in which its form and design have been preserved, despite a time lapse of two thousand years. While the particular style and specific length have undergone changes over the years, the basic appearance of hanbok has stayed intact. In looking at Goguryeo period murals dating from the fourth century B.C., one will witness an uncanny resemblance to the hanbok being worn on the streets of modern Seoul. It is this remarkable preservation of hanbok that provides a window of opportunity into the rich cultural heritage of the Korean people. Although hanbok is popularly-worn today on special occasions such as weddings and birthdays, there is renewed interest among modern Koreans in wearing hanbok as everyday wear, just as their ancestors once did. The revival (the process of something becoming or being made popular or fashionable again) has been touched off (to make something begin) by Korea’s first female head of state, President Park Geun-hye. Hanbok diplomacy Since being elected in December 2012, President Park Geunhye has surprised the world—and the Korean people—with her steadfast devotion to (an unchanged passion) wearing hanbok on official occasions. Her devotion to hanbok traces back to (to find the origin or cause of something) the influences of her mother, Yuk Young-soo, who, in her role as first lady, oversaw Korea’s miraculous economic rise from being one of the most impoverished countries (very poor) in the world in the 1960s to being one of the richest today. Yuk preferred to wear hanbok instead of Western dresses. This instilled a sense of pride and confidence (instill sth in/into smo: to put a feeling, idea, or principle gradually into someone’s mind, so that it has a strong influence on the way the person lives) amongst Koreans who were struggling to pull themselves out of the destruction and destitution (the state of impoverishment) of the tragic Korean War (1950–1953) and the brutal colonial rule of Japan (1910–1945). Widely known for her humble lifestyle and abstention from (the act of not allowing yourself to have or do something enjoyable or something that is considered bad) luxuries, Yuk was unrestrained (not be controlled) in her concern and devotion to the livelihood of the common people, regularly paying visits to the poor and sick. Today, even the staunchest political opponents (the strongest competitors) of President Park openly express their admiration and respect for her mother. President Park rekindled the people’s yearning for (to make something become active again) such benevolent leadership when she opted to (choose to) wear hanbok at key post-inauguration ceremonies in January 2013. She donned (verb: to put clothes on) a red durumagi, or outer coat, and a blue chima at the goodwill ceremony that took place minutes after her inaugural address. The symbolism of the color combination did not go unnoticed (to garner attraction): the colors red and blue, found on the Korean national flag, have historically represented the harmony of opposites. Many took her outfit as a plea for (a sign of) unity amongst the Korean people. President Park has also been dazzling (to impress) the global stage with her hanbok, a policy that has come to be known as “hanbok diplomacy.” In her official visits to the United States and China, she donned several varieties of hanbok, each laden with (be full of sth) different symbolism and meaning to mark the particular occasion. In an honorary dinner to mark the 60th anniversary of the Korea-US alliance (the corporation agreement) at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., President Park wore a cobalt-colored (a deep blue-green color) chima and beige (a light yellowish-brown colour) jeogori with elaborate (very meticulous and detailed, carefully prepared) embroidery (clothing pattern). According to Kim Younsuk, designer of President Park’s hanbok, the colors of the president’s hanbok were carefully selected in consideration of the many U.S. veterans of the Korean War who were in attendance. The cobalt color symbolized the Korean sky and the elaborate embroidery adorned with (be lavishly decorated with) flowers and trees marked the prosperity and cultural refinement of Korea today. Toward the end of her visit, President Park traveled to Los Angeles, which has historically been a popular destination for Korean emigrants. When meeting with Korean emigrants, she wore a pink hanbok. In an interview with a newspaper there, Kim said he wanted to accentuate (to emphasize sth) the motherly warmth and feminine grace (sự dịu dàng thục nữ) of the nation’s first female president. Hanbok captivates global fashion runways The beauty of hanbok has also been recognized on the runways (catwalk) of the world’s most respected fashion shows. Since the 1990s, Korean fashion designers have left their mark on the Western fashion world with hanbok- inspired collections. In 1996, Lee Young Hee, one of the most respected hanbok designers, dazzled the Paris fashion world with her exhibition “Hanbok: Clothes of the Wind” at the Musée de l’Orangerie. Lee was also the first Korean designer to have her works featured in France’s esteemed (respected) prêt-à-porter (/ˌprɛt.ɑː.pɔːrˈteɪ/: ready-to- wear; off-the-peg; off-the-rack; factory-made clothing) collection. Her collections feature hanbok adapted to modern sensibilities that stretch the boundaries of the imagination. (to widen the constraints of mind) Lee’s hanbok collections have often been described as daring and experimental. Indeed, some of her women’s hanbok did away with (do without sth) jeogori, and had chima befitting a Western dress. Leading French media took notice of Lee’s collections, and Le Monde praised the seamless way in which hanbok drapes over (cover; envelop) the human physique in smooth, flowing lines while retaining its elegant and sophisticated demeanor (/dɪˈmiːnə/: the way that somebody looks or behaves = manner). The beauty of hanbok has also not gone unnoticed in the eyes of Western fashion designers, who have come to draw inspiration from the centuries- old Korean traditional attire. Carolina Herrera, whose collections have been worn by such prominent figures (outstanding persons) as Jacqueline Kennedy and actress Renée Zellweger, showcased hanbok-inspired dresses for her 2011 S/S collection. In particular, Herrera incorporated the ample spatial feature of the chima with an added emphasis on the naturally flowing silhouette lines [the shape line of a person’s body]. “The dresses made by Herrera retain the unique Korean concept of the silhouette,” said Kim Eun-jung, a clothing and textiles professor at Chonnam National University. “The way the clothes envelop the body and the ample folds of the chima all point toward how well she understands the emphasis on lines found in hanbok.” Herrera also featured female models wearing “gat”, a wide brimmed hat with an emerging center (nón mão thời phong kiến) usually worn by Confucian scholars during the Joseon period. Another Western designer who has drawn inspiration from hanbok is the Belgian Dries van Noten, who was once described by The New York Times as “one of fashion’s most cerebral designers.” For his 2012 Paris Collection, van Noten incorporated prints found in the paper collar of the jeogori. His fascination with jeogori led to a unique collaboration with Korean hanbok designer Kim Hye-soon, whose extensive research into the upper hanbok garment led to her authoring the book Our Beautiful Jeogori (2011), which traces the evolution of the jeogori over more than 600 years. Van Noten featured several jeogori designs and patterns found in Kim’s book in his own collection. Flowing lines When discussing the aesthetic delight of hanbok, what inevitably emerges is the beauty of its flowing lines. Indeed, it is this attribute (characteristic) that distinguishes hanbok from other East Asian traditional outfits, such as the Chinese cheongsam or the Japanese kimono. Korean hanbok incorporates both straight and curving lines, which combine to create a sense of naturally flowing harmony. When the wearer moves, the flowing lines of hanbok create an undulating (shaped like a wave or moving up and down like a wave) silhouette that is subtle yet palpable (kín đáo, song vẫn có thể cảm nhận được). The collar (the part around the neck of a shirt, jacket or coat that usually folds down) of women’s Hanbok, which forms a V-shape, can be adjusted to accentuate or subdue the neckline.