The problem of visualizing ethnicity in a modern costume

The article traces the transformation of the visualization of the ethnicity of a person in a suit - from traditional to modern. The subject of the study is a suit, which is understood as an informationsign structure. The topic of the study is the visualization of ethnicity in a suit in a historical perspective. The purpose of the study is to identify the peculiarities of the visualization of ethnicity in modern costume. The study was based on a functional and semiotic approach to costume analysis. The hypothesis of the study is that, unlike the traditional costume, which demonstrated regional and national identity, modern "Western"-type clothing has largely lost these functions. Although in some regions the traditional costume is still relevant as a "living" tradition, there is a disappearance of national clothes from everyday life. Since the Late Middle Ages, the development of urban costume in Western Europe has been determined not by tradition, but by fashion. A fashionable suit is the opposite of a traditional one, many functions of a traditional suit have disappeared in it, including the designation of regional and ethnic affiliation. Ethnic style, using regional and national traditions as a source of stylization, is not a marker of a person's nationality. The peculiarity of the ethnic style is a superficial attitude to the source. Ethnodesign declares a deep and meaningful penetration into the tradition, which is becoming more and more relevant due to the increase in glocalization, manifested in the strengthening of regional differences. Although supporters of ethnodesign insist on the ability of design to integrate traditional ethnic symbols into modern culture, the question remains about the ability of a modern person to understand the meanings contained in traditional forms. The article identified situations when the costume performs the function of visualizing ethnicity in modern society.