Traditional Symbols and Images in Decoration of Modern Chinese Designer Clothing

This study dealt with forms of interpreting traditional symbols and images in the decor of modern Chinese designed clothes. First it was established specifically what traditional images were used by modern Chinese designers in their products. Then traditional Chinese costumes were compared with products of modern designers that had similar images in their decor. It was found that traditional compositions were in most cases upset, and symbols of power were embroidered on clothes intended both for celebrities and ordinary people. It implies that traditional symbols no longer have former meanings. The study of interviews with designers also showed that they most likely did not think about preserving traditional meanings of the images because they never said it directly. Then a survey was conducted, which found that some traditional meanings of images still remained in the decor of designed clothes although many had disappeared, but new meaning appeared in addition. The study ends with an analysis of scientific literature on similar subjects, which showed that none of fashion researchers ever thought of traditional meanings of images on clothes. Some modern meanings were identified from their work however. Thus, it was found that the fashion researchers and clothes designers did not perceive traditional images in their former significance, and ordinary Chinese see only some meanings in a relatively small number of traditional images. Nevertheless, traditional images did not become absolutely empty, they still imply certain meanings in various cases.