Postmodern Characteristics of the body in Fashion Advertisements

Abstract

As a form of media diversified and changed by the development of technology, fashion advertisements have brought a new change in representation of the body. With this transition, the characteristics of the body, which is in an inseparable relationship with fashion, have been dramatically changed in fashion advertisements. In hugely extended media flow, fashion advertisements suggest concepts of the body that are completely different from the past and became the focus in advertisements. Moreover, the body in fashion advertisements involve the symbolisms of social and cultural backgrounds followed by their commercialization. This study analyzes the characteristics of the body in fashion advertisements drawing on the innovative concepts of the body in contemporary society which is essentially different from the past ones; these characteristics are examined as postmodern features. The features are categorized as follows; hyperreal body, virtual body, fragmentization of the body through neologism, reconsideration of naked body, and decentralized body. The postmodern characteristics of the body have changed the boundary, broken traditional concepts and thoughts, and proposed new trends by creating revolutions though diversified media. Rapidly changing media is considered to be further accelerated; this transition highlights the postmodern characteristics of the body in fashion advertisements in more innovative methods.