Traditional Fashion Practice and Cultural Sustainability: A Case Study of Nubi in Korea

Abstract

Using the case of nubi in South Korea, this study proposes the significance of a traditional fashion practice in terms of its potential to contribute towards cultural sustainability. Nubi refers to a particular stitching technique applied to clothing and textile objects. Both tangible and intangible qualities of nubi are reflected using a practice-based approach. From the material’s quality aspect, nubi is a labor-intensive process and requires highly skilled artisans. The meaning of nubi involves modernization and adopting new methods, and adopting placeness as a marker of regional identity. Last, the artisanship and authenticity of nubi demonstrates the competence involved and the indefinite stages of design and creation. These qualities are characterized by complex dialogue between regionality, people, and social-cultural values. The potential contributions of traditional fashion practice towards cultural sustainability are highlighted by safeguarding and respecting indigenous cultures, performed through materialized interrelations between various aspects of practice, as cultural diversity comprises both tangible and intangible culture. This offers the potential for nourishment of creativity by preserving the vitality and diversity of cultures, which is something that cultural sustainability requires.

Keywords:

• traditional fashion practice
• cultural sustainability
• artisan crafts
• traditional Korean fashion
• nubi

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the nubi artisans—Hye-ja Kim, Seon-hee Yu, Sook-hee Jeong, and Seung-yeon Cho for supporting this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

The author received no specific funding for this work.

Notes on contributors

Jin Joo Ma

Jin Joo Ma is an assistant professor at Hongik University, Seoul, the Republic of Korea. With a research background in fashion studies at the Royal College of Art, she teaches and conducts research in the field of fashion design, fashion theory, and sustainable fashion. [email protected]