Reflection of Chinese Traditional Cultural Values in Modern Clothing

Yan Tszin PhD in Art History Department of Art Theory and History, Moscow Pedagogical State University 109052, Russia, Moscow region, Moscow, Ryazan str., 9 yangjing@bk.ru Other publications by this author

With the formation of a new world order and global relationships, world civilization has undergone a reassessment by various national cultures. The Chinese civilization is currently the only ancient civilization that has not been interrupted in its development. Chinese traditional culture reflects the value orientation, way of thinking, lifestyle, rules of conduct, art, culture, and science of the Chinese people. It is also a universally recognized national ideology that can be inherited. In addition, Chinese traditional culture is also a deep spiritual aspiration of the Chinese people. Clothing is not only a direct carrier of culture, a symbol of culture and a way of expressing the ideas of the people, but also a means of reflecting the spiritual aspiration and social ideology of the nation. Both traditional and modern Chinese clothing has a unique spiritual temperament, which it was endowed with thanks to traditional culture. 

1. The main content and historical significance of Chinese traditional cultureChinese traditional culture is the basis of all Chinese culture, playing an important role both for the development of modern China and for the whole world as a whole.

For this reason, the issue of studying the main content of traditional Chinese culture is extremely relevant. Chinese traditional culture is largely based on Confucian teaching, which was supplemented by the ideological and cultural systems of Buddhism and Taoism, based on the distinctive features of writing, language, the six aristocratic arts ["Six Arts" is an aristocratic education system that existed during the Zhou Dynasty in China (from 1045 BC to 221 B.C.), which included such components as etiquette "?" (Li), music "?" (Yue), archery "?" (She), horse management "?" (Yu), calligraphy "?" (Shu), mathematics "?" (Shu). The etiquette "?" (Li) meant moral education. Training in the art of music "Yue" mainly included teaching dance music, which was considered as a course of internal aesthetic education. Archery "?" (She) and horse management "?" (Yu) were considered together as the foundations of physical and labor education. Calligraphy "?" (Shu) was used for teaching writing, as well as teaching reading books. Mathematics "?" (Shu) allowed to study methods, laws and technologies;], which include: etiquette, music, archery, horse management, calligraphy, mathematics. In addition, traditional Chinese culture also includes many other types and directions of art that were formed during its development. Among them are the following: ink painting, calligraphy, poetry, music, martial arts, theatrical art, Chinese checkers, knotted weaving, festive folklore, make-up and creation of opera masks, shadow theater, paper ornament, creation of porcelain tableware, weaving and embroidery, creation of various decorative ornaments and patterns, as well as much more. In addition, Chinese traditional culture also includes the cultural heritage of various ethnic minorities and regions of ancient China. Under the influence of ancient Chinese culture, a unique national spirit of the Chinese people was formed, oriented towards a person, striving to live in harmony with nature, imbued with patriotism for the motherland, energy, high moral values and respect for traditions.Chinese traditional culture is the concentration of the achievements of Chinese civilization, whose history dates back more than five thousand years, and is also an important part of world civilization.

Despite this, the value and significance of Chinese culture in different historical periods differed. For this reason, according to the ideas of Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the moment Chinese society should maximally promote the creative transformation, innovation and development of Chinese traditional culture, as well as restore the viability of traditional Chinese culture in accordance with the spirit of modernity. In addition, it is necessary to strengthen the cultural consciousness of the Chinese people, improve Chinese soft power, as well as promote socialism with Chinese characteristics and enrich world culture by contributing to cultural diversity. Chinese traditional clothing plays a particularly important role in this process, the new historical mission of which is also to create innovations and develop them against the background of existing traditions. 

2. Traditional Chinese culture from the point of view of the opposition of China and Western countries.Chinese civilization is primarily based on the culture of the Han people.

Despite the fact that various dynasties alternated on the territory of the Yellow River, the historical homeland of this nation, internal conflicts arose, and foreign invasions occurred, the development of the Han culture was not interrupted, due to which the Han culture was able to preserve its key distinctive characteristics. The cultural features of the Chinese traditional costume have significantly enriched the culture and traditions of the states located to the west of China, with which trade was carried out in ancient times through the Great Silk Road. 

2.1 Chinoiserie ("Chinese style") in Western countries

Chinese style in a Western context is based on Western aesthetic values, which are mixed with ideas about Chinese culture. The direction of chinoiserie (Chinese style) in Western art mainly comes from the Rococo style of France of the XVII century. From the point of view of the Rococo artistic style, the Chinese style is a manifestation of the long-term experience of Europeans, based on the mixing of some available information about Chinese culture with significant additions originating from the European imagination of artists. This approach has placed the word "imagination" in a particularly important place in the Western concept of China. In addition, the emphasis on subjectivity in the concept of "imagination" also demonstrated that many Western ideas about China are the result of observational behavior passing through the prism of Western tradition and cultural standards^[1,235c]. For this reason, in the process of cultural exchange between China and the West, Western countries have two main ways of expressing Chinese culture: the denial or formation of chinoiserie (false Chinese style) based on misunderstanding, guesswork and substitution of real elements with imaginary ones. For example, in 1977, the French designer Saint Laurent developed a series of fashionable clothes in the Chinoiserie style based on his personal imagination and creative abilities with the help of books, films and other materials (Fig. 1), which became the creative basis for the designer. In addition, John Galliano, a British fashion designer, in 1997 also developed a Chinese design for the spring-summer couture collection (Fig. 2). Another famous designer, Tom Ford, in 2004 created a series of suits for the Yves Saint Laurent brand "The Last Emperor" (Fig. 3), which also represented They are clothes in a false Chinese style, the design of which largely corresponded to the categories of Western aesthetics and means of expression. Thus, chinoiserie-style clothing, formed on the basis of Western imagination, can be characterized as having lost the integrity and authenticity of Chinese traditional culture, but adding images and elements of Western culture and art.   Since the XXI century, the international fashion industry has become more integrated and mature during the process of globalization.

Against this background, creativity in the field of fashion design has also become an integral part of the processes of globalization, which have overlapped with the growth of national power and the possibilities of China's huge consumer market. This allowed the false Chinese style, based on "Chinese elements", to become one of the important styles in the international fashion system. However, at present, chinoiserie in the West is more associated with its symbolic value than with consumer value. Due to this, viewers can first of all distinguish the Chinese symbolic meaning in clothing.Regardless of what anyone may have to do with this increasingly evolving reality, Carlo De Benedetti gave the best description of what so many fear as a "Chinese phenomenon": "I believe that we are approaching a new crossroads in the history of civilization."

(La Repubblica October 3, 2003). Despite countless exhibitions, product catalogs and thick books on glossy paper since 1990, the West still knows very little about Chinese fashion. Antonia Finnane's book "Changing Clothes in China" immediately became without a doubt the most complete, exciting and important contribution to the understanding of this "crossroads", as well as a real contribution to the expansion of the field and methods of academic research in the West ^[2,110c]. According to the famous scientist Carlo de Benedetti, the history of traditional Chinese clothing as an important part of the history of Chinese civilization and China as an important part of the history of world civilization shows that the culture of traditional Chinese clothing is very important for today, but there is very little real understanding of Chinese clothing in the West. Therefore, although the "Chinese style", with its Chinese elements, is still one of the most important styles in the international fashion system. But at the moment, the 'Chinese style' in the Western world is more related to its symbolic meaning than to its use, allowing the viewer to primarily interpret the Chinese symbolic expression of the dress.

For example, a Chinese fashion designer from New York, Jason Wu, turned Chinese traditional culture into visible and representative "Chinese elements". In particular, the designer divided the so-called "Chinese elements" into elements of China during the Qing Dynasty, elements of China belonging to the period of the Republic of China, which were represented by green "sunyatsenovki" and military (or civilian) uniforms, as well as elements of China, which represented the Hollywood version of China of the 1930s and 1940s, the prototype of which was the first Hollywood Asian movie star Anna May Wong[Anna May Wong is the first Chinese-American movie star. Initially, she was an actress of silent films, after which she successfully began to perform roles in films with sound. Anna Mei Wong was extremely popular in the 20s of the twentieth century as a representative of the Chinese style in Hollywood in the West. In the early style, Anna Mae Wong had straight bangs and bright dark makeup with high eyeliner under thin, sinuous eyebrows. For example, Anna Mei Wong starred in the film "Daughter of the Dragon" (1931). Among her many Chinese-style costumes, there was one that made the greatest impression on the European and American fashion communities. It was a Qipao dress with dragon embroidery designed by Travis Barton, which the actress wore in the movie Limehouse Blues. This dress was recognized as one of the most beautiful women's costumes of the twentieth century;]. In addition, red color, patterns in the form of Chinese dragon and phoenix, Chinese porcelain, Chinese architecture, Chinese landscapes, as well as many other classical visual symbols are actively used to convey Chinese style in modern clothing in the West.

Modern chinoiserie in the West is mostly a combination of Chinese elements with Western aesthetics with the help of high technologies, where, as a result of analysis and processing, decorative elements for clothing are eventually created. In other words, it is a process of secondary extraction and application of Chinese characters. Despite the fact that in recent years, expression through the Chinese style in clothing in the West is no longer happening in such a free form as it was before, the focus in the methods of expression has been shifted towards the expression of hidden content. For this reason, modern Chinoiserie has gradually moved to respect the role and value of the attributes of Chinese culture. An example of such an approach can be the spring-summer 2015 Armani couture collection "Bamboo Charm, Sword and Shadow Knight", in which one of the "Four noble" elements of Chinese aesthetics (plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum) is presented through clothing - the grace and hardness of bamboo. This collection demonstrates the idea of contemplation, elegance and cultural enlightenment (Fig. 4). Another example is the autumn-winter collection of Burberry 2022, which included wide and loose women's dresses, as well as clothes with a stand-up collar, demonstrating the pride and freedom of Chinese dignitaries (Fig. 5). In addition, the autumn-winter collection of Armani 2023 is also filled with false Chinese style (Fig. 6). Despite this, the use of chinoiserie in the West from the point of view of expressing the modern language of clothing can also be considered as an improper appropriation of Chinese culture. For example, the long skirt presented at the Dior autumn show in 2022 has exactly the same shape and structure as the skirt that appeared during the Han Dynasty in China (202 BC - 220 AD), but the official name of such a skirt is "Dior Silhouette". This fact is an obvious example of the conflict between the dominance of mass culture and subculture, as well as an example of cultural appropriation and cultural appropriation of Chinese elements of traditional Hanfu costume by a well-known brand due to its discursive advantage (Fig. 7). The case cited above shows that against the background of China's increasing economic power and cultural upsurge, there is an urgent need to conduct new research in the field of Chinese traditional culture and traditional clothing, as well as to improve China's soft power and accelerate the processes of shifting focus to the distinctive features of Chinese costume culture within the modern world fashion system.

2.2 Chinese style in ChinaCompared to the false Chinese style of clothing that originated in the XVII century in the West, clothing in the authentic Chinese style in China appeared relatively late.

Only in the 80s of the twentieth century, after the Cultural Revolution in China, Chinese-style clothing began to gradually develop. And it was only in the first decade of the XX-I century that a relatively independent and unique style of clothing with Chinese specifics was formed in China. Despite the fact that the new Chinese style and chinoiserie are based on the application of elements of Chinese culture in the field of clothing and the revision of previous experience in order to create a new one, there is a big difference between the two concepts at the conceptual level of design, the process of application, the method of expression, the choice of theme and aesthetic aspiration. The main common feature of these two concepts is that they are the results of creativity based on the theme of China. However, the key difference between them is that in the case of the first concept (chinoiserie), more attention is paid to national themes, where aesthetic distance and the association of "alienness" was dictated primarily by regional differences. The second concept (new Chinese style) focuses on the historical theme, where the aesthetic distance and the association of "one's own" was dictated by the temporal length of history [3.21c]. Thus, Chinese traditional style in China is a trend in the context of modern fashion, based on traditional Chinese culture in order to creatively promote the Chinese spirit and culture.

After the end of the period of stagnation, imitation and overcoming the mistakes that arose in the 1980s, the new Chinese style of clothing was able to gradually acquire a unique oriental flavor. The most striking examples of such clothing were such types as a leather suit with wool inserts decorated with traditional ornaments, a black skirt combined with elements of a long robe, as well as such elements of clothing as protruding shoulders. All this demonstrates the fusion of Chinese and Western cultures in the field of fashion. The policy of reform and openness pursued at this time in China became an incentive for the development of a new Chinese costume culture. Chinese fashion design has ceased to be a simple reproduction of traditional clothing or a desire to completely deny the borrowing of elements of Western clothing, becoming a direct look at the history and current stage of development of Chinese clothing. This approach combines elements of traditional Chinese culture and the main attributes of modernity, on the basis of the fusion of which a new way of developing clothing with Chinese specifics is gradually being formed. 

Currently, the ways of applying Chinese traditional culture in modern clothing can be divided into two categories: methods of reflecting Chinese traditional culture through visualization and symbolization, as well as the method of reflecting Chinese traditional culture through the transmission of hidden meaning and content. In the case of the first method, the language of clothing is expressed through the use or reproduction of Chinese elements in such aspects as style, fabric, ornament, color, manufacturing technology. The fashion brand Messential, created by the famous Chinese fashion designer Ma Kai, skillfully combines classic oriental aesthetics with elements of modern fashion. For example, the clothes in the spring-summer collection of 2022 include traditional Chinese qipao dresses, fabric buttons, patterns in the form of plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, as well as elements of ink painting, which are combined with new design concepts and a voluminous cut of the Western tradition. Such an arrangement conveys the special spirit of Chinese culture and demonstrates its revival. This allows viewers to directly visually experience the design of clothes in the new Chinese style, causing them a spiritual response (Figure 8). In addition, the Chinese art of ornament not only contains rich cultural content and beautiful images, but is also a means of demonstrating culture through symbolic expression, which has come down from antiquity to the present day. Elements of traditional ornament are often directly used in modern clothing with a new Chinese style or as a creative basis for creating new types of patterns. For example, the spring-summer collection of 2022 by Chinese designer Xiong Ying "The Book of Taote" was inspired by the images of Taote (zoomorphic pattern of a mythological monster) on ancient bronze products. The reinterpreted Taote ornament is reconstructed in geometric forms, where a combination of thick and thin fabrics, as well as relief jade beads forms a spatial contrast. More than a dozen types of white jade sequins are arranged in a mosaic style, while tufts of feathers are located on the collar, cuffs and hem of clothing. The main color of the dress is white. Through clothes of this type, rich in structure (like the feast of the Taote monster), the Chinese aesthetic concept is transmitted, simultaneously containing features of the integration of Chinese and Western cultures (Fig. 9).

Fashion design in the new Chinese style is not limited exclusively to the expression of traditional elements and symbols. The most important is the expression of the language of clothing, hiding oriental aesthetic concepts, cultural connotations and semantic symbols embodied in clothing. This is exactly the element that is missing in the Western Chinese style. In Chinese culture, all living objects have an interconnected structure of the real and the unreal. The same principle applies to aesthetic objects ^[4,12c]. For this reason, the departure from the external form in the modern Chinese style and the transfer of an abstract inner "meaning" is more suitable for distribution in the context of modern fashion. For example, in Chinese ink painting, great importance is attached to empty space. The mutual connection between the real and the unreal often takes place precisely in places where there is no paint. Abstraction is born in the empty space of the work, which is one of the most important sources of inspiration and meaning for artists. So, professor of the Institute of Fine Arts of Tsinghua University Li Wei used a light and thin texture to convey the language of Chinese ink painting. In addition, by changing the colors of his clothes, he also demonstrated the richness of simplicity and the infinite spirituality of non–existence contained in the elements of Chinese ink painting, which is perfectly consistent with the well-known Chinese concept of "less is more" (Fig. 10). Thus, seemingly simple works in the field of fashion design can contain ancient Chinese philosophical ideas about the unity, opposites and coexistence of the principles of Yin and Yang, vividly demonstrating oriental aesthetics. 

Traditional Chinese culture emphasizes the unity of nature and man, adherence to the principles of nature and the harmonious coexistence of man with nature. Ma Ke is the first Chinese fashion designer to take part in Paris Haute Couture Week. In her works, she fully integrates clothes and life, striving to describe the concept of harmony between man and nature in modern Chinese-style clothing. With the help of her clothes, Ma Ke teaches people to respect nature, manual labor and traditions. The designer puts the concept of "simplicity" into clothes, reflecting traditional Chinese culture in his own way. Ma Ke's clothing is mainly made of linen, and also mainly has a small number of components and delicate tones. Slowness, smoothness, naturalness and simplicity are vividly reflected in Ma Ke's works. Regardless of whether the selection of fabric or the choice of paint is carried out, Ma Ke uses simple, natural and uncomplicated methods. It can be said that the clothes developed by Ma Ke are an exclusive "poverty" in a noisy modern society, a return to the inner essence of a person and the unity of clothes into one with a person (Fig. 11). Another example is the Chinese advanced designer Uma Wang, whose brands are based on the eastern spirit of Chan Buddhism. Thanks to her creativity, the designer launched a wave of eastern aesthetics of Chan Buddhism in the system of modern fashion. Her brand positions wearing clothes as a way to achieve enlightenment in Buddhism. It is almost impossible to detect the reflection of oriental symbols in the design of the Wang Mind. Instead, the designer deftly uses the technique of empty space, characteristic of traditional calligraphy painting, where the gaps existing between the body and clothing are used to express oriental feminine beauty and charm. Her works tell various stories through lines. Many long dresses and half-open hemlines have large gaps. For this reason, the effect is created that an invisible force flows between the dress and the movement of the human body. The design of Uma Wang allows modern representatives of society to feel the majesty and solemnity of traditional Chinese clothing, as well as a harmonious combination of hardness and softness (Fig. 12). 

3. The heritage and innovation of Chinese traditional culture in modern clothing3.1 The inner content of Chinese culture

Professor of the Institute of Fine Arts of Tsinghua University Li Danzi in his exclusive interview clearly noted that the so-called "Chinese elements" are easy to understand as certain details characteristic of ancient Chinese clothing, such as fabric buttons, standing collars or certain variants of ornament. First of all, it gives a symbolic idea that Chinese culture is ancient and outdated, lifeless and has no sense of modern fashion. Such an approach to understanding, of course, is somewhat one-sided or even simplified. According to Professor Li Danzi, a clothing brand with Chinese elements should be primarily a national brand that contains local features of Chinese culture. At the same time, local cultural features should not be cultural symbols ^[5,29c]. In this regard, the question of how exactly to inherit and transmit Chinese traditional culture within the framework of global fashion becomes extremely relevant. In addition, there is a question about the ways of innovation in the creation of clothing with Chinese cultural specifics within the modern context. On the one hand, it is necessary to accept modernity as a key element, as well as to absorb the advantages of Western culture and its advanced technological achievements in order to subsequently transform them in the manner of local culture. On the other hand, Chinese-style clothing design should begin with the direct expression of specific Chinese traditional cultural symbols and elements, turning into a means of discursive presentation of the identity of the Chinese nation, ultimately forming a reflection of the cultural inner content and abstraction that are contained in Chinese-style clothing.

The inner content of Chinese culture here is a unique attribute of spiritual identity, usually presented allegorically, indirectly and half-hidden. The inner content expresses the calmness, harmony, neutrality and naturalness characteristic of Chinese traditional culture. The acceptance of heritage and modern innovation in the field of Chinese traditional culture require researchers to find the so-called "historical spirit" of Chinese traditional culture. By "historical spirit" is meant that which directs the continuous development of Chinese history^[6,99-100c]. The spirit in the inner content of Chinese traditional culture is the most important entity guiding the development of Chinese-style clothing fashion within the framework of global culture. At the same time, it is necessary to elevate the spirit of the time of traditional culture in Chinese fashion design, thereby developing a sense of Chinese national identity and identity. Thus, in the process of future development and creation of Chinese-style fashion design, one of the key elements is the transmission of Chinese cultural heritage, innovation based on it, as well as the expression of the inner content of Chinese culture. Thus, by creating Chinese-style clothing, it is possible to cultivate national self-esteem, confidence, pride and identity, which will help spread the rich inner cultural content of Chinese-style clothing design within the world community.

3.2 Nationalization and globalizationAs the processes of globalization accelerate in the 21st century, the opposite trend towards nationalization becomes more and more obvious, which has a significant impact on the orientation of modern fashion design in the Chinese style.

Nationalization and globalization are a kind of antinomy that forms a two–component framework[antinomy is one of the main concepts of German classical philosophy, which was put forward by Immanuel Kant in the XVIII century. Antinomy is understood as the contradiction of two generally recognized provisions established by the two sides on the basis of common principles]. First of all, globalization changes the identity of each nation, but it should be noted that globalization does not mean the complete completion of the nationalization process, because while Western developed countries influence world culture, the culture of Eastern countries also reacts to the influence of Western culture. As a result, a situation arises that cannot be unambiguously characterized as globalization or nationalization. This state is characterized by integration, co-existence and development.

Chinese-style clothing is based on Chinese national culture. Such a national identity attracts the attention of the fashion world. Uniqueness in the means of expression gives Chinese designers an advantage in the international arena. However, nationalization is the cornerstone of globalization, while globalization is a continuation of the nationalization process. For this reason, globalization is an inevitable trend that arises in the process of nationalization development. In other words, it is the globalization of national design. Compared to globalized design, the concept of nationalized design is sufficiently fragmented, the only limitation of which is the inevitable onset of weakness of nationalized design within the framework of global adaptation, which may lead to the restriction of Chinese-style fashion design. In addition, fashion design is limited by the method of expressing symbols or specific images of traditional national culture. For this reason, it is quite difficult to create a truly international brand within the framework of world fashion. These circumstances are a practical challenge for the unique Chinese culture, as well as an important test for the future development of Chinese-style clothing. These challenges consist in an excessive exaggeration of national characteristics that do not have a marked traditional thinking. In order to continue developing the traditional culture of China, it is necessary to use modernity as a key element, while the heritage of traditional Chinese culture must be used as a source of inspiration, choosing only the best from it. This approach will allow you to bring a lot of fresh ideas to the design of Chinese-style clothing in the context of the modern fashion world. 

4. ConclusionChinese traditional values are simultaneously manifested in both Chinese and Western fashion design traditions.

This demonstrates that the internal content and information transmitted through clothing are much more important than the clothing itself. More important here is the spiritual direction and the desire to build a national identity, a unique worldview and a system of values that go beyond the boundaries of fashion design. Chinese fashion design should be based on traditional Chinese culture as a foundation, comprehensively promote and develop traditional Chinese culture at a deeper level through the creation of Chinese-style clothing, preserving the valuable heritage of ancient Chinese civilization, as well as forming a methodological basis for the further development of fashionable clothing in China. At the same time, it is necessary to continue the dialogue with the outside world, master the international fashion language, use the results of combining Western and Chinese styles as a basis for further creativity, striving to change the status of modern Chinese clothing in the context of international fashion.