Frontiers in Art and Design

Dior and Cinematic Art: The Aesthetic Deconstruction and Cultural Significance of Fashion Film Narratives

Fang Xie — 2025-02-03

Movies have witnessed a growing diversity in their content, form, and means of expression. This diversity has shattered the confines of traditional mainstream cinema, transforming the medium into a vehicle for capital operations and brand marketing. Fashion has adeptly employed the cinematic realm to foster communication between fashion brands and their audiences, effectively bridging the gap between the public and the world of fashion through unique storytelling techniques.

In this article, we will use Christian Dior as a case study, delving into specific films as the starting point for our discussion. We will explore how storytelling methods play a pivotal role in brand building, thereby demonstrating that the narrative employed in fashion films is a crucial tool for brand development and a novel avenue for fashion communication. Simultaneously, this audio-visual narrative facilitates direct emotional connections between the fashion world and its audience.

How Does the Screen Expansion in the Images through Generative AI Affect the User Experience of Watching the Video on XR Environments?

Soonkyu Jang — 2025-02-12

The advent of generative AI, which has recently emerged, signifies the ability to create images by expanding upon existing images and filling in empty areas. Consequently, this research examined the impact of providing expanded images on the existing movie screen on usability when watching a movie while wearing XR equipment. This is because when a video with a 16:9 or 21:9 aspect ratio is viewed while wearing an XR device, the video can be expanded to occupy the entire screen in extended reality. The experimental design entailed the real-time capture of the movie screen using Adobe's generative AI, followed by the expansion of the captured image and its manipulation in both the vertical and horizontal directions. The video comprises a 15-second movie, featuring a VR scenario. A usability evaluation (SUS) was conducted, utilizing this function to expand the screen area. The experimental results substantiated the positive impact of generating images in real-time through generative AI on an XR device that expands the screen area through generative AI.

Assessing Cultural Worldviews in Nollywood Historical Films: A Critique of Imasuen’s Invasion 1897 and Bandele’s Elesin Oba...

Kelechi Uzoma Agoha — 2025-02-13

The study delved into the evaluation of cultural worldviews in Nollywood historical films. The primary aim was to study the construction of cultural worldviews and their role in shaping historical narratives within the films. Drawing upon Gregory Bateson and Erving Goffman frame theory, the analysis critically examined Lancelot Imasuen’s Invasion 1897 and Biyi Bandele’s Elesin Oba: the King’s Horseman. These historical films were selected using a typical case sampling technique and subjected to thorough Content Analysis. The findings of the study highlighted the significant influence of cultural worldviews on indigenous peoples’ perceptions, behaviours, reactions, and problem-solving approaches. Also, these worldviews are encapsulated in the traditional beliefs, laws, symbols and, religious practices of indigenous Nigerian cultures, which encountered challenges during the colonial era. Based on these observations, the study recommended the importance of thorough research in film production to ensure the accurate representation of cultural worldviews in order to promote positive cultural and social values in Nigeria.

The Social Significance of Nkwa Umuagbogho Maiden Dance of Afikpo: A Theoretical Discourse

Prisca Ifeoma Okeke — 2025-02-24

Although traditional dances remain one of the underdeveloped performance arts that have received less attention in the contemporary era, they remain fundamental to traditional communities that leverage their symbolic qualities and social functions to uphold cultural values that are integral to them. The study aimed to examine the social significance of the Nkwa Umuagbogho maiden dance of Afikpo people in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The objective was to interrogate the relevance of the dance using four theories; dance movement therapy, cultural feminism, social identity theory, and genderlect theory. The outcome of the study revealed that the dance encompasses different theoretical dimensions that underpin its relevance to the host community. From a therapeutic construct, the study found that the dance serves as a means of improving human health and mental wellbeing. It also found that the dance explores the feminine cultural attributes of Afikpo maidens to foster identity, integration, and association in society, as well as blurs the gender gap that exist between men and women in Igbo culture through active engagement and communication between women and men in the performance process. Therefore, the study recommended that it is important for scholars and critics to advance theoretical inquiries on traditional dances to unearth their significance in society, especially toward a cultural renaissance.

Dance Costumes as Expressions of Cultural Identity: A Study of Selected Cultural Dances

Tracie Utoh-Ezeajugh — 2025-02-24

The intricate and lively costumes adorned by dancers frequently mirror the rich cultural legacy of Nigeria, showcasing traditional attire, fabrics, accessories, and body art that are distinct to each ethnic group. However, dance costumes are often affected by cultural shifts emanating from globalization, technology, and modernity, leading to some alterations in cultural representation. The objective of the research is to examine how dance costumes express cultural identity in Nigeria. Drawing upon Mary Collier and Milt Thomas’s cultural identity theory, the study examines two Nigerian dances. The selected dances are the Inyemobi dance of Onicha-Ugbo in Delta State and the Aja k’Idoma dance in Benue State. These case studies were purposively selected. The study utilizes the content analysis approach of the qualitative research methodology to engage cultural identity issues in the selected dances. Major findings reveal that the costumes serve as symbols of ethnic and national identities. However, many costume practices are endangered and on the brink of losing their indigenous identities as a result of changes orchestrated by varied influences. The study, therefore, recommends scholarly documentation as a sustainable means of cultural and ideological preservation.