Parasite (2019) 

“Once you overcome the one-inch barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” – Bong Joon Ho

Director Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite made history by becoming the first foreign language film to win Best Picture at the 2020 Academy Awards. Despite it being a foreign film, the universal themes and societal issues that are being critiqued break down cultural barriers, resonating with audiences worldwide.

The film explores the human nature of class disparity and its social commentary with not just great storytelling but also stunning visuals as well in their costume and set design. Today, Parasite continues to shape modern fashion, influencing trends and everyday wardrobes.

Korean fashion, or K-fashion, refers to the clothing trends and styles from South Korea. It is a blend of traditional and modern elements and is typically known for its simple yet effective minimalistic style. Over the years, K-fashion has gained a widespread appeal worldwide; according to a survey from Statista, more than 26% of the respondents stated that Korean fashion is widely known among people in their country.

In Parasite, costume designer Choi Se-Yeon implements Korean fashion and modern trends, contrasting the families of the upper and lower classes to reflect the main theme of the story.

The Park family in the film is wealthy and is featured in a clean, well-polished way through their wardrobe choices. They are the epitome of the fashion aesthetic ‘Quiet Luxury,’ exemplifying minimalistic elegance showcasing fine tailoring, muted colours, and high-quality fabrics that represent wealth, tying well with the Korean fashion minimalist style that is a timeless piece.

Trends like ‘Quiet Luxury’ have been seen to have made an upcoming resurgence through social media platforms and are a popular commodity with many young audiences and adults aspiring to have a glamorous lifestyle; likewise, the Kim family infiltrates the Park family’s house in the film. This ‘Quiet Luxury’ style is often associated with high fashion brands like Bottega Veneta and Jill Sander that promote a minimalist and elegant aesthetic.

In contrast, the Kim family’s costume and design are filled with monochrome colours and practical clothing that is worn out to portray their struggles and financial situation. This is deliberate to showcase the contrast between the class divide as the Kim family is blending into the background.

Parasite uses fashion to address societal issues and highlights the importance of activism within the fashion industry, with high fashion brands like Balenciaga in their Autumn-Winter 2022 collection ‘Snow Globe’ raising social and environmental issues on the climate crisis during Paris Fashion Week. It reflects directly how Parasite uses costume and design to address world problems that need to be critiqued and showcases that fashion can be used to discuss societal issues.

 By Lina Hangsrong, a student on the BA Journalism course at London College of Communication