Dr Choi and her work, "Floating World"
"Floating World", an interpretation and utilisation of historical and artistic sources by transferring traditional woodcut printed images of Ukiyo-e to modern digital prints on garments
"Floating World", an interpretation and utilisation of historical and artistic sources by transferring traditional woodcut printed images of Ukiyo-e to modern digital prints on garments
"Floating World", an interpretation and utilisation of historical and artistic sources by transferring traditional woodcut printed images of Ukiyo-e to modern digital prints on garments
Dr Sun Young Choi, Assistant Professor, was recently awarded the Sandra Hutton Award for Excellence in Fiber Arts — Professional Level for her suit set-up titled "Floating World" at the 2022 International Textile and Apparel Association Annual (ITAA) Conference in Denver, USA.
There was a very enthusiastic response to the call for design entries. Out of a total of 230 submitted designs, 61 were accepted through a peer-review process with panels of industry experts. The acceptance rate was 39.3% in the professional category. The skills and talent of Dr Choi are truly recognised as the recipient of the award in this category.
The design originated from the idea to transfer traditional woodcut printed images of Ukiyo-e (浮世絵), a type of Japanese art from the 17th to the 19th centuries, to garments through modern digital printing techniques. Geometric patterns in a gradual linear style with vivid tones were placed on top of the initial image to create a surrealistic feeling. In addition, a novel means of constructing a jacket was devised in which shirts and jackets are integrated into one piece to highlight the theme of ties between two disparate worlds. By layering various colours and patterns printed on translucent polyester organza, the design achieves a depth effect as well as surrealism with floating material, unlike the real world, where gravity dominates.
Dr Choi explains more about her work: “This meaningful study expands the possibilities of digital printing and reinterprets historical and artistic inspired designs to provide new applications in a modern way. The goal is to create a pleasing design and boost the spirit of the wearer. I believe my study will give insights to my fashion design students in considering historical and cultural sources in fashion design development."
The following are some of the comments from the jurors on Dr Choi’s work:
“The design created and displayed actually speaks beautifully to the title of the work and the concept."
"The concept of this piece is very interesting with the exploration of perspective and depth. The finished design is visually effective and represents the concept well."
The International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) is a global association composed of scholars, educators and students in the fashion and textiles disciplines in higher education. ITAA promotes the discovery, dissemination, and application of knowledge and is a primary resource for its members in strengthening leadership and service to society. This year, the annual conference was held in USA from 26 October to 29 October 2022.
