Modern Interpretation Of Traditional Chinese Culture Of Clothing

The Chinese people traditionally used patterns to express wishes. This is demonstrated on the Chinese traditional dress, the qipao where they used various patterns such as flowers and plants. Many used flowers as each flower had its own unique meaning. For instance, The chrysanthemum is a very popular flower and is portrayed not in just clothing but artworks. It is a symbol of joy and a wish for peaceful retirement. Many other patterns represented various things such as wavy patterns that reflected the wisdom and intellect of the designers. Many believed that patterns could tell stories and hold meanings.

Another design feature used on the Chinese traditional dress was embroidery. The embroidery on the qipao was an important technique used to decorate the aesthetic dress. Chinese embroidery was very important in China as it is one of the oldest art forms and both men and women participated in this activity. They were known for their embroidery skills and embroidery was practiced everywhere in the mainland China. The Chinese embroidered different things to represent and express hidden meanings and symbols. An example of this is a dragon (or dragons) embroidered on the qipao. In the Chinese culture, dragons symbolise power, strength and good luck.

Many Chinese designers used different patterns and embroidery to decorate the qipao. However, the colours of the dress was one of the most important design features used to decorate the traditional dress. As stated, many use the chrysanthemum flower in patterned fabric. This is due to the chrysanthemum being available in a range of colour and designers will use different colours on the qipao to express different things. For example, the colour red symbolises good luck and is the colour of happiness. On the other hand, the colour white symbolises purity and innocence. In some instances, white is associated with death and is commonly worn at funerals.

Chinese culture has a very strong impact on contemporary pieces. To create contemporary Chinese inspired garments, designers tend to use design features from the qipao which can include the patterns, embroidery and colours. The Chinese used the animals such as butterflies to represent and symbolise many things. (Butterflies can also symbolise a wish for long life). Modern designers incorporate symbols such as animals to portray and communicate emotions and meanings to the audience.

The world turned their attention to Asia in the early 1990s and produced many reinterpretations of traditional Chinese clothing. This was due to the elegance and unique looks of the Chinese garments which became sources of inspirations for many western fashion designers. Famous international designers reflected the Chinese culture in their fashions shows which helped attract the younger generation of Western and Chinese women’s interests in the Chinese traditional dress, the qipao. Very renown brands which include Ralph Lauren, Christian Dior and Versace have used the qipao’s dress elements in their designs. For example, In Ralph Lauren’s 2011 fall collection, a runway model walked down the aisle with a black form fitting qipao styled dress which featured intricate dragon embroidery all over the back.

Many fashions designers are inspired by China’s qipao. Gaining inspirational from the dress, they are able create a more modern ‘qipao’. This is done by incorporating distinct features of the traditional dress, such as the iconic mandarin collar with the traditional Chinese button and the overall figure hugging shape.

The Chinese traditional dress is known as the Qipao or Cheongsam was originated in the 1920s in Shanghai. The qipao was a very significance textile item in Chinese culture and has specific cultural meanings associated with it.

The qipao wasn’t always a tight-fitting dress. It originally was a loose-fitting garment with wide sleeves. However, over the years as fashions trends were being introduced, the traditional dress transformed into a more appealing attire. In china, people believed that clothing shouldn’t be worn to show your body images or to look attractive but in instead to express one’s personal qualities and/or social status. The fitted dress allowed women to embrace their own bodies and femininity through the figure hugging silk dress with the iconic mandarin collar with the Pankous (traditional Chinese knotted buttons) running from the base of the mandarin collar down the front of the qipao.

The traditional dress was very socially significant and showed the wealth of women as many qipaos were made of silk and back then silk was very expensive. Wealthy married women (usually those with a high social position) wore them very often and were rarely seen without wearing the dress in order to show their wealth. However, by the 17th century, women wore the qipao nearly every day as the qipao was embraced by women as a symbol of cultural and ethnic identity.

Many people now wear qipaos on special occasion such as Chinese New Year as supposed to every day. Nowadays, companies such as ‘Cozy lady wear’ are keeping the qiapo look alive, and are creating qipao inspired prom, evening and wedding dresses incorporating the distinct design features such as embroidery. The overall dress shape has changed quite a lot from the loose fitting qipao with the wide sleeves to what is created today – a longer figure hugging dress, with the famous mandarin collar.

An example of a designer who used the qipao as inspiraton is desginer Keita Maruyama. He used the desgin features such as Chinese motifs, floral and dragon embroidery. The Japanese designer created a collection of qipaos in his ‘In the Mood for Love range.’ He stated ‘Qipaos can be difficult to wear because of how they emphasise the curves of a woman. I want to make them more comfortable, yet still stylish, so they can be daily wear. That’s why my designs are a bit more loose-fitting,”

Chinese culture in a contemporary society all started when China opened door to the west. The ‘Chinese look’ began its popularity in the 1970s where many well known fashion designers were attracted to the design features and style of the Chinese traditional dress. The mandarin collar with pankous was seen to be used in many western countries in fashion shows in the late 1900s and still continues nowadays. Renowned Yves Saint Laurent drew inspiration from the Chinese culture for his most recent collection ‘dreams of the orient’ and shows how strong Chinese culture can influence the current contemporary society even after all these years.