costume as a design object is a clearly structured logical-artistic system of image, the
design of which takes place in one of the directions in the design of clothing and/or
style; which reflects the fashion trends and individuality of the author-creator; and
fulfils social, economic, technical, technological, ergonomic, and communicative
requirements on the aesthetic basis [7].
The modern conditions of the designer’s work require him/her to know all levels
and sections of the costume, to be aware of all processes related thereto without any
exception, as it is directly reflected in the design. Design is a multilevel process of
successive advancement from a plan, an idea, through the analysis of pre-design and
design situations, to realization in the material by existing or developed, invented
technical and technological means of a particular item, as well as predicting and
ensuring the functioning thereof. It is based on the modern trends in the design culture.
At the conceptual level, they can be described as: individualization, intellectualization,
integration, informatization, and innovation. The indicated tendencies are an
embodiment of the specificity of the design periodization of the 20
th
century, which
was substantiated by V. Danylenko in his thesis [8].
From the outlined stages of design the stage of the item functioning remains the
least studied one. It includes the positioning of a design product with specific
functional, ergonomic, aesthetic, environmental and other properties, figurative-
stylistic characteristics, caused by expediency with social significance and by fashion.
In his methodology H. Lola defines this stage as “cultural animation” [9].
The costume is traditionally perceived as a set of elements. Clothing, accessories,
footwear, visual stylistics and behaviour, as a manner of wearing clothes, construct a
visual perception of corporeality. The interconnection of these components proves the
possibility of positioning a costume as a visual image. It combines a “natural” person
with a “social” person and depends on the cultural paradigm of the era, on social,
economic, and political aspects. Thus, it is part of the development of culture in general
and the design in particular.
One of the main functions of a costume is the function of social orientation and
adaptation, which manifests itself through the ability to express and transmit
information, to identify it, manipulating public opinion at the expense of direct visual
action that determines the specificity of “demonstration” of a costume. As a product of
design, the costume has not lost it. In design, visual stereotypes act as circuits that can
control the process of receiving/transmitting information, as well as be a coding system
for its processing.
The visual image (costume) is one of the main factors in creating a communication
situation. Manifestation, that is, the representation of the costume’s image is a cultural-
deterministic act, and occurs with the help of external signs – clothing, hairstyle,
jewellery, and behaviour. Costume is the combination of these elements. Therefore,
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