Due to the continuous development of IT technology and the COVID-19 pandemic, the non-face-to-face online market has expanded. As a result, the metaverse platform market has also grown. Metaverse platforms are affecting various industries such as fash...
Due to the continuous development of IT technology and the COVID-19 pandemic, the non-face-to-face online market has expanded. As a result, the metaverse platform market has also grown. Metaverse platforms are affecting various industries such as fashion, music, and movies, and have emerged as a new market for businesses. Zepeto, a representative metaverse platform, is mainly used by the overseas Zalpha generation(born from the mid-1990s to 2020: a combination of Generation Z and Alpha Generation). They establish and express their identity through digital fashion items of 3D avatars in Zepeto. As a result, digital fashion items have significant value within the platform. Zepeto also generates and shares various digital content, with Korean Wave-related content such as the digital world map, digital fashion items, and digital dramas being particularly active. When Korean culture's unique creativity and high-level digital content manufacturing technology meet, they create Zepeto's content, which is shared as ‘K-Culture’ by various overseas users of Zepeto. Among them, digital fashion items related to ‘K-pop idols’are being consumed mainly by Zepeto overseas users who are interested in Korean Wave, and are making significant contributions to the activation of Korean Wave within Zepeto. Therefore, this study aims to develop Zepeto's digital fashion items related to K-pop idols using traditional Dokkaebi patterns that represent Korean creativity, folklore, and identity. This has significance in communicating with overseas Zepeto users through digital fashion items and activating the Korean Wave within Zepeto.
The first part of the research focuses on the theoretical background, examining the Metaverse and the Zepeto platform, as well as investigating the characteristics of the Hallyu(Korean Wave) in reality and the current status of fashion companies entering Zepeto. Then, the evolution and characteristics of the traditional Korean goblin patterns are researched by dividing them into different eras. In the second part, based on three characteristics of the Hallyu, a 'Hallyu idol' is selected from Zepeto and their digital fashion items, as well as 'digital fashion items with traditional Korean goblin patterns', are fully investigated and analyzed according to quantity, style, color, and pattern. In the third part, a logo design incorporating the traditional Korean goblin pattern and six pattern design principles are developed based on the case study, and applied to nine digital fashion items. The ultimate goal is to register and release the final products on the Zepeto Studio after approval. Additionally, we are planning to create a virtual digital fashion brand called 'DOKKABI' in Zepeto, utilizing the developed digital fashion items.
The study method involved conducting a literature review and case study to collect examples of Hallyu trends currently active on the Zepeto platform and develop characteristic digital fashion items. Data was collected through academic papers, internet articles, and publications related to keywords such as ‘Metaverse’, ‘Zepeto’, ‘Hallyu fashion’, and ‘Dokkaebi patterns’. Based on this, three Hallyu idol groups that well represent three characteristics of Hallyu were selected, and as of February 28, 2023, a total of 13,442 digital fashion items related to the three groups were surveyed and analyzed by item quantity, color, style, and pattern. Additionally, 402 digital fashion items related to traditional dokkaebi patterns were searched using keywords such as ‘도깨비(in Korea)’, ‘Korean dokkaebi’, ‘Dokkaebi(in English)’, and 'Goblin' on Zepeto and were analyzed through the same process as the three Hallyu idol groups. Based on the analysis, traditional Korean dokkaebi patterns were reinterpreted in a modern way to develop patterns using Adobe Illustrator, a 2D graphics program. Motifs were designed based on the characteristics of dokkaebi patterns from different eras, and a principle fit design was composed based on the motif design. The composed principle fit design was applied to the digital fashion item template using Adobe Photoshop and implemented on Zepeto 3D avatars in the Zepeto studio.
As a result of the research, six principle fit designs reflecting the characteristics of traditional dokkaebi patterns from different eras were developed, and two principle fit designs were applied to each of the three Hallyu idol groups that best represent these characteristics. Nine digital fashion items were developed, three for each team, using the principle fit designs, and a ‘DOKKABI’ word mark logo was designed as a motif using the origins of dokkaebi, ‘돗가비’ and ‘DOKKAEBI’, to ensure consistency among the developed digital fashion items. The research results have been officially released on the Zepeto platform and can be purchased within the platform, serving as a means of communication with overseas consumers to promote Hallyu.
Through this research, we aimed to create new value and contribute to the promotion of Hallyu by combining traditional Korean Dokkaebi patterns and digital fashion on the rapidly growing metaverse platform Zepeto, with a focus on the overseas younger generation. Additionally, there is a lack of research on digital K-fashion item analysis and development for Hallyu content marketing and for overseas users with a high interest in K-fashion on the Zepeto platform. We hope that this research will lead to continuous research on the development of various digital fashion items in subsequent studies to promote Hallyu on Zepeto.