Transcultural Fashion Design Development Based on a Cross-Cultural Comparison of Korean and Pakistani Street Fashion

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The purpose of this study is to explore the potential for transcultural fashion between Pakistan and the Republic of Korea by examining the design characteristics of Gen Z street fashion in both countries. Although the two nations have maintained diplomatic relations for more than forty years, academic exchange in the field of fashion has remained highly limited. In alignment with contemporary trends of globalization, this study seeks to advance meaningful, practice-oriented engagement with the fashion cultures of both countries. Accordingly, the research holds significance in addressing a scholarly gap in fashion cultural convergence and cross-cultural exchange.
A practice-based qualitative methodology was adopted, integrating literature review, street fashion content analysis, expert evaluation, and practice-led design development. Visual data of university student streetwear from Pakistan and Korea were collected and analyzed through content analysis based on key design elements. An expert panel further examined national stylistic tendencies using criteria such as silhouette, color palette, layering, materials, and accessories.
The findings indicate that both fashion cultures commonly emphasize comfort, individuality, and aesthetic experimentation among youth. For young consumers in both countries, fashion functions as a medium of self-expression, with accessories, prints, and detailed embellishments serving as personalized markers of identity and style. Hybridization between tradition and modernity also emerged as a shared design characteristic: Pakistani youth often pair traditional kurtas with sneakers, while Korean youth subtly incorporate cultural motifs into otherwise globalized streetwear aesthetics.
Despite these similarities, notable stylistic and cultural differences were identified. Pakistani summer streetwear remains closely connected to traditional dress forms such as kurtas, shalwars, and palazzos, frequently expressed in pastel color palettes adorned with embroidery or block-printed motifs rooted in regional craft heritage. In contrast, Korean streetwear strongly reflects global fashion trends, featuring cropped tops, oversized T-shirts, and asymmetrical silhouettes articulated through muted earth tones juxtaposed with neon accents or graphic patterns. In other words, while Pakistani streetwear highlights artisanal heritage and tactile ornamentation, Korean streetwear prioritizes contemporary minimalism infused with urban sensibility and pop-cultural elements.
Based on these insights, the study proposes a transcultural design concept that harmonizes Korean minimalism with Pakistani craft-inspired elements, visually presented in alignment with the 2026–27 S/S trend forecasts. Generative AI programs were used in the process to visualize the designs as fashion illustrations. The resulting men’s and women’s streetwear designs organized into three thematic categories represent a practice-based attempt to fuse the stylistic identities and socio-cultural expressions of the two nations' street fashion.
This study demonstrates that street fashion functions not merely as a stylistic phenomenon but as a meaningful platform for cultural exchange, offering valuable academic foundations for future transcultural fashion design development. Furthermore, it underscores the need for expanded research on diverse Asian street fashion cultures and anticipates the advancement of cross-cultural fashion integration through design.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Abstract........................................................................................................................i
• Contents.....................................................................................................................iv
• Table Cntents..............................................................................................................vi
• Image Contents.......................................................................................................viii
• I. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1
•  1. Research Purpose and Background..................................................................... 1
•  2. Research Methodology and Contents.................................................................. 4
• II. Theoretical Background......................................................................................... 9
•  1. Cross-Cultural Study and Transculturalism in the 21st Century......................... 9
•  2. Concept and Development of Street Fashion................................................... 13
•   1) Concept and Theorizing of Street Fashion.................................................... 13
•   2) Historical Origins and Contemporary Development of Street Fashion......... 16
• III. Evolutionary Characteristics of Korean and Pakistani Street Fashion................ 23
•  1. Korean Street Fashion...................................................................................... 23
•  2. Pakistani Street Fashion.................................................................................... 44
•  3. Comparative Analysis of Design Characteristics of Korean and Pakistani Streetwear............................................................................................................ 60
• IV. Design Planning and Development.................................................................... 63
•  1. Design Planning................................................................................................ 63
•   1) Collection and Analysis of 2025 SS Street Fashion.................................... 63
•   2) 2026 SS Fashion Trend................................................................................. 76
•   3) Concept and Target...................................................................................... 80
•  2. Design Development........................................................................................ 86
•   1) Design A....................................................................................................... 91
•   2) Design B....................................................................................................... 95
•   3) Design C....................................................................................................... 99
• V. Conclusion........................................................................................................ 106
• References
• Abstract (Korean)
• Acknowledgement