This study aims to identify the diverse types and characteristics of signatures that appear in contemporary fashion while primarily brand focusing on emerging Korean designer brands. To this end, qualitative content analysis using news articles and in-depth interviews with 15 emerging Korean designers were conducted. The news article analysis revealed six types of signatures: design based on formative sensibility expression, strategically constructed designer/brand identity, brand practices carried by cultural and spatial experiences, craftsmanship and custom production, contemporary reinterpretation of traditional designs, and text-based visual symbolic systems. The result of the in-depth interviews identified five types of signatures among emerging Korean designer brands: design expressions evolving from designer and brand identity, production emphasizing practicality and craftmanship, brand experiences based on spaces, visual narrative symbolism, and limited-edition items. Unlike established fashion brands that focus on fixed visual or textual elements through strategic planning by the established fashion brands, emerging Korean designer brands gradually and dynamically develop signatures which are grounded in personal philosophy, ethical values, and ongoing interaction with consumers. The findings of this study imply that the signatures of emerging Korean designer brands are not merely aesthetic repetitions, but are instead representations of evolving and situated expressions that interacts with and responds to socio-cultural changes and contexts.

Abstract
I. Introduction
Ⅱ. Theoretical Background
    1. The concept of brand signature
    2. Emerging designer brands and their signatures
Ⅲ. Research Methods
    1. Data collection and sampling
    2. Research methods and data analysis
Ⅳ. Result and Discussion
    1. Signature types of fashion brands
    2. Signature types and expressions of emergingKorean designer brands
    3. A comprehensive overview of signature expressionsof emerging Korean designer brands
Ⅴ. Conclusion
References

• Joohyung Lee(Doctoral Course, Dept. of Fashion and Textiles, Seoul National University, Korea) | 이주형 (서울대학교 의류학과 박사과정)
• Jisoo Ha(Professor, Dept. of Fashion and Textiles, Seoul National University, Korea) | 하지수 (서울대학교 의류학과 교수) Corresponding author