THE PHENOMENON OF CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY: HISTORY OF CREATION AND VARIABILITY OF DESIGN SOLUTIONS

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to identify the features of creating a camouflage pattern and analyze the specifics of its use in clothing design by leading couturiers in a historical retrospective and at the present stage. Methodology. The study used the method of analysis and synthesis, the method of historical and cultural analysis, the method of typological analysis, the methods of art history and stylistic analysis, etc. Results. The results of the study found that the camouflage print was transferred to the civilian sphere soon after its introduction into military clothing during the First World War. This was evidence that the practical nature of the camouflage print does not prevent the use of its aesthetic potential by modern visual culture. A significant contribution to the formation and further development of the camouflage pattern belongs to avant-garde artists. The aesthetic characteristics and numerous symbolic meanings of camouflage allowed it to become a classic characteristic of the military style. During the 20th and first quarter of the 21st centuries. the fields of art, architecture and design continue to import and use the strategies of two main types of military camouflage – Disruptive Pattern Material (complicating object recognition) and Dazzle (deformation of silhouettes). It was found that in accordance with the essence of the phenomenon of camouflage, which consists in the visual perception of ambiguity through the rupture of forms, leading modern couturiers use such techniques as pattern scaling, pointillism of the minimal fragmented unit, blurring, brightness gradation, playing on contrast with a monochromatic background, etc. in order to reveal their own understanding of camouflage in clothing design and the idea of each specific model. Scientific novelty. For the first time in domestic art history, the problematics of the phenomenon of camouflage pattern and the features of its use by leading clothing designers have been investigated. Based on the analysis of two main types of camouflage pattern (Disruptive Pattern Material and Dazzle), variability has been traced and the main techniques of design solutions have been outlined. Practical relevance. The results of the study can become the basis for monographic studies, educational literature, and the development of lecture courses on the history of clothing design.