In the era of globalization and glocalization, multinational companies are applying traditional cultures to brand marketing and using them as strategies for entering the market. The utilization of other cultures by luxury fashion brands based on Weste...
In the era of globalization and glocalization, multinational companies are applying traditional cultures to brand marketing and using them as strategies for entering the market. The utilization of other cultures by luxury fashion brands based on Western capital has been recognized as cultural borrowing or cultural exchange. However, as the problem of cultural appropriation that misinterprets non-Western cultures has emerged, authentic approach to traditional culture employed as a marketing tool is being required. Gucci is a representative brand that actively utilizes other traditional cultures in design and marketing; building a pioneering image of diversity. This study aims to analyze Gucci's cases to examine the strategies of luxury fashion brands in utilizing traditional Korean culture from the perspective of authenticity expression, then to discuss a direction of using traditional culture in the contemporary fashion industry. For the purpose of the research, we investigated the current status of cultural borrowing in the fashion industry and analyzed the cases of traditional Korean culture utilized by Gucci since 2012 by restructuring framework of authenticity by Gilmore and Pine Ⅱ. Moreover, we conducted interviews with the domestic companies that collaborated with Gucci as well as the experts in Korean traditional culture. As a result, Gucci could be considered to have an authentic approach to Korean traditional culture through developing products which incorporate typical traditional images, offering experiences of the traditional culture combined with the brand identity, and additional practices for constant influence of traditional culture. These characteristics are parallel to the diversity strategies of Gucci. Nevertheless, guidelines for borrowing traditional culture are urgently needed to prevent the harm caused by cultural appropriation. Therefore, the authentic utilization of traditional culture by luxury fashion brands requires breaking away from stereotypes through in-depth understanding and restructuring of the scope with continuous interest, and reinterpretation of the culture in the spirit of the times. This study has significance in that it provided a frame for understanding the authenticity in utilizing Korean traditional culture and discussing a direction of cultural exchange which reflected expert opinions in the related field.