The Symbolism of the Dragon in the Design of Clothing and Accessories in the Context of Updating the Traditional Cultural Heritage of China

Van Syaoyui ORCID: 0009-0008-0322-1702 Postgraduate student, Department of Theory and History of Culture of Arts and Design, Transbaikal State University 672039, Russia, Zabaikalsky Krai, Chita, Alexandro-Zavodskaya str., 30 wxy42081@163.com Other publications by this author

Chzhan Myao ORCID: 0009-0004-2065-8165 Postgraduate student, Department of Theory and History of Culture of Arts and Design, Transbaikal State University 672039, Russia, Zabaikalsky Krai, Chita, Alexandro-Zavodskaya str., 30 miaomiao426@163.com

Introduction. The conceptual framework of the work is based on the distinction of the content of the terms used. The system of representations of the dragon in Chinese culture consists of connotations, relative in their certainty, but consensual in origin:

- symbolism, the symbol of the dragon – is understood as an informative, communicative, conservative meaning fixed in the tradition ^[1];

- the image of the dragon is a cultural narrative, a symbol of national identity, a conceptual identifier linking various interpretations of composite projections into a single semantic whole;

- the image of the dragon as a mythological concept – a generalized pre-scientific, pre-philosophical idea of the dragon as a symbol of certain characteristics, energies, states;

- the artistic image of the dragon in the broad sense of a "metaphorical thought" ^[2] of the individual and society as a whole;

- the dragon drawing is a planar image of the dragon image;

- the dragon pattern and ornament are abstract, conventionally symbolic, rhythmically ordered components of the dragon image, used primarily in decoration.

In this article, the concepts of "dragon image", "dragon symbolism" are used in a broad conceptual sense, and the terms "dragon drawing", "dragon pattern, ornament" are used in an applied sense as a reflection of design solutions. 

Modern design focuses primarily on fashion trends and commercial prospects when creating clothing models. With this mysterious and noble image, designers can create unique and recognizable models that attract the attention of consumers and increase the market value of the brand. The image of the dragon as a cultural symbol became the basis of the national brand and ensured its high competitiveness. In general, the use of the dragon pattern in modern clothing design popularizes traditional Chinese culture, is a source of inspiration in artistic creativity and has commercial appeal. It is relevant to analyze and comprehend the phenomenon of using the image of a dragon in modeling modern clothing as a factor of appeal to iconic elements of traditional Chinese culture, which, combined with elements of Western culture, becomes a sought-after and promising innovation in modern fashion design not only in the world of high fashion, but also in the culture of everyday life.

Literature review. The discussion of the image of the dragon in Chinese culture and art dates back to antiquity, starting with the early "Book of Songs and Hymns" (Shijing) and "Zuo Zhuan", and ending with the later "History of the Ming Dynasty" and "Court Life of the Qing Dynasty". There are enough descriptions of the dragon image in art and culture, but research until modern times was mainly carried out by "imperial" scientists and writers of high social status. Their views corresponded to the ideas of the ruling class of that time and had a mythological connotation. In modern culture, the dragon has ceased to be a symbol of the privileges of the feudal autocratic class, and Chinese studies about it have become increasingly popular in Western culture. In the studies of dragon culture, the works of Mr. Wen Yido "Fuxi Image Research" ^[3] and "The Dragon and the Phoenix" ^[4], devoted to the study of mythology and the ancient dragon culture, are highly recognized. In these two books, the author used a large amount of information as a basis for studying the images of dragons in ancient myths and legends of China. According to the author, the dragon is a mythical creature that does not exist in the biological world. The formation of the collective image of the dragon is the result of the synthesis and modification of fragments of images of totemic animals in ancient myths and legends of China.  Later, in order to take advantage of the "heavenly power" of dragons, sung in myths and legends, the feudal rulers declared the dragon their own incarnation, associating it with feudal authoritarianism. Nowadays, the dragon has become a cult symbol of the Chinese nation, which inspires scientists to conduct more extensive and in-depth studies of dragon culture based on the latest scientific achievements.

One of the modern researchers of dragon culture, Wang Dayou, reflecting on the traditional totemic culture of dragons and phoenixes, writes that the dragon and the phoenix are inseparable heroes of Chinese mythology, since the dragon was considered a symbol of the emperor, and the phoenix – the empress. In traditional Chinese culture, the dragon and the phoenix are considered as the reception of the Yin-Yang symbol. The dragon, as one of the most masculine symbols in traditional Chinese culture, represents Yang, is considered a symbol of positivity, masculinity, strength and power. According to legends, dragons, possessing powerful power, are closely connected with the sun, the sky and the imperial power. The phoenix represents Yin and is usually seen as a symbol of femininity, purity, beauty and auspiciousness. The phoenix is associated with negative attributes and at the same time is considered a favorable mythical image, which is associated with the Empress and the female half of the reigning house.

The combination of the dragon and the phoenix reflects the balance and integrity of Yin and Yang, symbolizes the opposite and complementary elements of male and female, sun and moon. This concept of Yin and Yang has a profound impact on Chinese culture, not only reflected in myths and legends, but also widely expressed in art, literature and philosophy.

The images of the dragon and the phoenix contain characteristics of each other. So, the dragon has the characteristics of Yin. For example, the image of a dragon is associated with water, and water is classified as Yin. The image of the phoenix is usually associated with fire, the fiery feathers of the phoenix are considered a symbol of fire, so the phoenix embodies the positive characteristics of Yang energy. Yin and Yang complement and transform each other, forming the balance of the universe. This philosophy is deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture and has influenced many fields such as art, medicine and architecture.

The book "Chinese Dragon Culture" ^[5] summarizes the context of the development of the history of dragon culture and initially forms its academic framework. The author traces the origin of the Chinese dragon culture from the mythological layer of Chinese culture, the system of totemic emblems and coats of arms of clans and the archetypal layer of cultural tradition accumulated and inherited by national psychology. Wang Dayou explores the astrophysical system of the Chinese dragon culture from the point of view of ancient Chinese astronomy. In the book Atlas of Dragons and Phoenixes, he provides a large amount of information about images of dragons and phoenixes available from ancient times to the present day, where you can see a clear context for the evolution of Chinese culture and art of dragons and phoenixes. Wang Dayou's research on dragon culture enjoys a high reputation at home and abroad due to its historical depth and scientific rigor.

In other studies by Chinese scientists, there are also many theories and studies about the origin and formation of the image of the dragon. Among them, the ethnoconsolidation theory deserves attention. The fact that the dragon, as an ancient Chinese totem, is made up of elements of other totemic animals indicates that this could have happened as a result of the unification of ancient tribes or kingdoms, whose totems were used to construct the dragon animals. The dragon could become a common totem for all groups whose totems were included in the collective image of the dragon. As a result, the dragon becomes a symbol of friendship and ethnic consolidation. The dragon retains this benevolent meaning in Chinese culture to this day.

The book "The Dragon and Chinese Culture" by Liu Zhixiong and Yang Jingzhong ^[6] systematically presents the version of the origin of dragon culture from the point of view of archeology, draws attention to the development of the image of the dragon and its connotations in various dynasties; examines the influence of dragon culture on modern politics, religion, culture and art. As an argument, the book provides a large number of convincing artifacts and documentary materials.

The dragon culture, embodied in various fields of artistic creation, such as folklore, architecture, music, etc., is of great interest to scientists.  The high popularity of dragon dance and dragon boat racing in China initiates research on folklore events related to the dragon culture, in which the processes of their origin, development and popularization are narrowly studied. Gradually, scientific research on this topic is becoming deeper and richer, absorbing a wide range of historical and cultural issues and focusing on the importance of the dragon symbol for the formation of the national spirit and its impact on various spheres of culture and practice.

There is also a steady research interest in this topic in Russian science. The image of the dragon in Chinese mythology is studied by O. L. Nekrasova-Karateeva, E. P. Stalinskaya ^[7], articles by A. S. Koroleva are devoted to its reflection in decorative and applied art ^[8]. In the linguistic and cultural aspect, the concept of "Dragon – L?NG" is studied by E. A. Plyaskin ^[9], E. N. Ostrovskaya ^[10]. The symbol of the dragon in the spiritual culture of China, the meaning of the image of the dragon in religious beliefs is studied by V. V. Garrido ^[11].

The research methodology includes a synthesis of historical and theoretical methods of cultural studies, as well as partially social philosophy, art history, historiography and technical aesthetics. This makes it possible, based on a review of the literature on the application of the concept of the presence of an archetypal dragon symbol in traditional culture in its historical retrospect, to approach an understanding of the origin, development features and traditional spiritual meanings and values inherent in this cultural phenomenon. The analysis of the actual use of dragon drawings in traditional clothing opens up possibilities for understanding the transformation of the dragon image in modern clothing and accessories design, the features of its use in collections of fashion designer brands and the decor of fashion events. Consideration of the specifics of the use of dragon patterns in the fashion industry in different seasons and years allows us to identify trends in their evolution in the field of high fashion.

Results and discussion. The historical and cultural value of the dragon image in modern fashion design lies in the functional certainty of heritage – to be a source of inspiration, a means of achieving success through familiarization with the desacralization of heritage, in particular the symbolism of dragons. Therefore, in the domestic market of designer clothing and accessories in China, its significant segment consists of the works of designers working in the field of reinterpretation of the image in modern culture and art, in new types of visualization.  Most people understand that the drawings and patterns of dragons on clothes work in the system of identification of national identity, support a sense of cultural identity, encourage people to buy and proudly wear clothes with such symbols. At the same time, the artistic plasticity of the creative image itself activates new, previously little-used qualities of the modern socio-cultural context of open China. The artistic value of the image is activated through the interpretation of the shaping and stylization of dragon patterns in the context of modern means of expression and provides rich opportunities in design modeling. Using elements of the dragon image and integrating it into the silhouette, cut, print and coloring, designers overcome traditional stereotypes, creatively transform the image into coded symbols, conventions, signs and create fashionable and creative images that compliment the semantic code of traditions. By combining the modernized image of the dragon, borrowed principles of material shaping, and business strategies, many Chinese fashion designers manage to create fundamentally new fashion concepts.

Fashion design is a way to express the beauty of the human body through various materials. The art of fashion is a practical form of cultural philosophy that uses clothes as a means of expression, a narrative. The art of fashion is based on the latest achievements of science, art, digitalization, focuses on the beauty of human nature and the functionality of products ^{[12; 13]}. The commercial value of the dragon image in modern fashion design is manifested in the potential of high attractiveness of products. If there are products with the same price and consumer characteristics, the buyer makes a choice based on a comparison of price and quality in favor of a complementary image with new and innovative options. Being one of the traditional patterns, the dragon pattern carries cultural meanings and can meet the needs of different customers ^[14].

With the growing trend of economic globalization and international integration, more and more designers are looking for new design ideas in their national culture. The dragon pattern stands out as a classic traditional pattern. For example, the Chinese brand Chow Tai Fook has released a new series of DIVENUS jewelry, the design of which has been updated using dragon patterns (Figure 1). This series is designed for women, although dragon patterns are usually used in men's clothing accessories to emphasize the power of the male image. In this series, the dragon pattern has a flexible shape, which, in our opinion, is far from the traditions of depicting a dragon in Chinese culture. The soft lines in the Chow Tai Fook jewelry give the image of a dragon a modern look. The lines of the cloud pattern, decorated according to the canons of traditional Chinese aesthetics, frame the soft dragon pattern and interpret the unique temperament and elegance of oriental women. Each dragon-patterned piece is carefully inlaid with diamonds, showcasing luxury and exquisite plastics. This is a jewelry art worthy of the highest appreciation.

Figure 1. Chow Tai Fook. Dragon Pattern Ring

On the eve of the New Year of the Dragon in 2024, CLOT is once again teaming up with the Roots brand to launch a new series of spring festivals "Stay Lucky", which aims to celebrate the Lunar New Year according to the Eastern calendar. This series combines classic Roots design and tailoring using eco-friendly materials and organic cotton with street style CLOT. It is specially decorated with patterns on the theme of the Year of the Dragon to create baseball leather jackets, hoodies, sweatpants, hats and socks, as well as T-shirts, leather banff bags, leather tote bags and a wide range of accessories.

Elements of the traditional Chinese dragon pattern are successfully used not only by Chinese, but also by foreign designers. Due to their qualitatively different culturally determined vision of the image, the elements of the traditional Chinese dragon drawing have been widely used on the catwalks of high fashion and updated with a new conceptual meaning.  For example, in the Cartier jewelry series, Chinese elements with a dragon pattern were the source of inspiration. The image of the dragon in its classical imperial meaning was used, emphasizing a special social status, and so the so-called "imperial style" of the 2022 collection was created, which became widespread in the Asia-Pacific markets. This style has gained recognition, intoning the idea of nobility and social dominance of Cartier (Figure 2) in the global accessories market.

Figure 2. Cartier. A watch with a golden dragon

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the leading fashion centers have been developing designs adapted for the European consumer. Thus, the source of creative inspiration for creating a clothing collection at the D&G Spring-Summer Fashion Week 2009 in Milan was not the obvious images of a dragon, but the stylized and rhythmically ordered semantic structures of dragon patterns ^[15]. A modernized prototype of the traditional Chinese dragon pattern based on a monochrome texture of the material gave the collection a special originality. The image is elegant with the soft asymmetry of the print and the unique silhouette of the popular European men's suit (Figure 3).

Figure 3. D&G. Men's clothing with a dragon pattern

The paradox is that interest in the print in China itself has increased after using it in the Pacific and European design locations. The above examples have shown that the dragon pattern is too specific and nevertheless began to be actively used in the changed Chinese society, which in many ways has become globalized, technological, educated. There have been processes of urbanization and integration into systemic global processes. And since the second decade of the 21st century, we have seen the revitalization of the heritage of traditional culture in general, the national symbol – the dragon, in particular. This reflects the processes of systemic self-knowledge of the nation in the depths of its history.

So, the image of the dragon has long been used as a unique traditional pattern of Chinese clothing. Historically, it acted as a sign of high status, and later, with the development of society, it turned into a symbol of well-being and success. The decorative value was gradually strengthened in the world of fashion modeling, was appreciated and recognized by designers and consumers from different countries, which led to the growing popularity of the traditional Chinese dragon pattern in their homeland. The traditional Chinese dragon image has become a new source of inspiration for modern patterns. But the trigger point was the interest of foreign designers in the Chinese dragon pattern, it prompted Chinese fashion designers to feel the cultural and aesthetic value of the image more deeply.

Today, traditional Chinese patterns (reformatted images) of dragons are widely used in modern clothing design, providing a broad communication platform for the dissemination of clothing design with Chinese characteristics. Such a unique situation arose in 2008, when many design examples using the dragon pattern were presented at the Beijing Olympic Games. Among them, the most characteristic is the medal of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The inspiration for the overall design of the medal was the ancient Chinese jade discs Bi with a dragon pattern. The medal consists of two elements: a jade circle symbolizing the image of a dragon, and a metal insert on which the emblem of the Olympic Games in Beijing is engraved. The most striking feature is the design of the hook in the form of a dragon pattern (Figure 4). The medal is made in a traditional style and looks noble and elegant. It not only reflects the best wishes conveyed to the winner through the symbolism of the dragon, but also translates traditional cultural values ^[16]. The medals of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing are a masterpiece of combining Chinese and Western artistic tradition and Olympic spirit.

Figure 4. Medals of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing

Another example of using the dragon pattern in design is the sports uniform of the Chinese table tennis team (Figure 5). The designer depicted a roaring dragon on the front of the competition uniform, which acts as a symbol of the national spirit and conveys the designer's pride in his country.

Figure 5. The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the sports uniform of the Chinese table tennis team

With the development of the social system, economy and culture, exclusively decorative beauty is increasingly being pursued in modern household design. In traditional society, any decoration was, first of all, a means of expressing some socially significant content and often had no independent artistic value. So, the patterns of dragons on the clothes of past dynasties, although they gave aesthetic pleasure, but served as accessories with a certain meaning. In modern clothing and accessories design, the artistic value of the dragon pattern is mainly related to creative personality and author's style. Nevertheless, the more tangible and recognizable the national and regional component in the style of the pattern, the higher its artistic value.

Today, Chinese dragon patterns are considered typical design elements and are increasingly used in the works of foreign fashion designers to better express Chinese style and oriental charm. For example, the dragon-printed version of the Lady Dior bag was specially designed by John Galliano for the Style China project and is a Chinese silk product with traditional floral decor and an original dragon handle (Figure 6).

Figure 6. Dior. Handbag with a dragon

Another example: At the Paris Fashion Week Autumn-Winter 2010-2011, French designer Jean Paul Gaultier used the pattern of the Chinese palace dragon on stockings resembling the "dragon boots" of ancient Chinese emperors (Figure 7). It should be noted that the author's unique works are full of exotic and oriental elements. 

Figure 7. Jean Paul Gaultier. Dragon pattern on stockings

          Adding elements of a traditional dragon pattern to a modern design gives garments national and regional specificity, improves visual perception, fills the design with cultural meaning and actively promotes Chinese culture internationally. Through modern fashion design with a dragon pattern, we get the opportunity to better understand traditional culture, combine Eastern and Western traditions. Although Eastern and Western art originated from two different cultural systems and formed their own artistic principles, they had a noticeable influence on each other. An example of this kind can be considered the work of Ralph Lauren, whose collection expressed the possibilities of complementarity of the advantages of the Western laconic stylistics of the sporty style with the quirkiness of the decorative image of a dragon (Figure 8). At first glance, the difficult-to-combine means of organizing clothing as a cultural text are overcome by creating an innovative look that is complementary to both Western and Eastern consumers of clothing ^[17]. Modern aesthetic requirements are based on the principles of greater conciseness and stem from new ideas about the beauty of form – this is the success of the collection.

Figure 8. Ralph Lauren. Sweater with a golden dragon print

In combination with European traditions of shaping, the dragon ornament is increasingly used in modern clothing and accessories design. In 2006, Yan Shibing wrote that as the world's clothing culture strives for unification, and design concepts continue to deepen, images of dragons will continue to integrate into new objects of Western culture, while preserving the essence of traditional Chinese culture and acquiring new connotations ^[18]. In modern China, the trend of ethnostilization is increasing not only in decorating, but also in shaping the national silhouette of clothing. Traditional Chinese clothing, naturally loose and decorated with a dragon pattern in a two-dimensional plane, represents a complete aesthetic image in the culture of everyday life (Figure 9).

Figure 9. Stylized clothing of Clot brands in collaboration with Canadian Roots

The Western concept of clothing modeling differs from the Chinese one by focusing on three-dimensional shape, combining decorative patterns with the structure of clothing, and paying attention to the visual effect that clothing creates around the human body.

The works of Chinese designers mostly preserve the features of traditional Chinese costume and convey the dragon pattern as a flat decorative image. The full image of a dragon or several dragons is often used in clothing, fashion designers use traditional fabrics, primarily silk, which emphasizes the expressiveness of the pattern. Over time, people's aesthetic tastes have changed, from a certain point of view, this traditional method of applying a pattern seems too "rigid", heavy-handed, and does not meet the needs of aesthetics and real life of modern people. Thus, the modern design of the dragon pattern should not only rely heavily on traditional Chinese patterns, but also take into account a number of current consumer preferences, new modern aesthetics, constant innovation in production and people's lives in order to better adapt to the needs of modern society.

The traditional Chinese dragon pattern can be made simpler and clearer, or abstracted without violating the general rules of formal beauty, it can be divided and dispersed, and then arbitrarily combined graphically. The composition can be based on the content that the designer wants to express, using all his imagination to add, remove and overlap elements of the drawing to create a new shape. For example, in the work "Blue Ink", which won a bronze medal at the Chinese Minjui Cup evening dress design competition, the designer combined the patterns of the Chinese phoenix and fish with abstract dragon patterns, which refreshes the traditional image in accordance with modern trends ^[19].

Fashion designers pay special attention to the choice of fabric, because different fabrics display the pattern differently. When the material, texture and other properties of the fabric change, the drawings on the fabric also get new visual effects ^[20]. Only by properly combining the traditional Chinese dragon pattern with the texture of modern fabrics can we create original models, add brilliance to the artistic concept and achieve perfect harmony ^[21]. Therefore, the traditional Chinese dragon pattern is used today not only in familiar fabrics such as satin, cotton and linen, but also combined with new materials, which further emphasizes its charm. So, at the opening ceremony of the shows "Night of the Siberian Tiger Fur" and "Flowers bloom for four seasons", designers skillfully integrated traditional dragon patterns into elite fur fashion – an urgent area of design developing both in China and in the West.

Nowadays, many designers offer ready-made clothes in a rich Chinese national style, demonstrating the skill in using the dragon pattern. In the conditions of modern sewing production, the application of a dragon pattern on clothes has become relatively simple technically, which reduces the cost of the operation and ensures quality stability. Now the designers are faced with the task of combining the inheritance of traditional dragon drawing techniques with modern technologies. Innovations in model development and production have allowed ready-to-wear with a dragon pattern to move from the catwalk into people's daily lives.

With the development of a socially oriented economy, the dragon pattern in clothing design combines the traditional essence and the spirit of the new age, achieving the goal of internal unity between man and clothing. Such clothes become an everyday commodity that ordinary people can widely use, while preserving their national identity and unique ethnic style. In today's advertising around the world, the dragon pattern is rightly characterized as the pearl of the great culture of the Chinese nation, which forces the consumer to turn his gaze to the history and culture of China.

In the world of high fashion, dragon patterns saturated with ethnic characteristics are also increasingly appearing in the works of Eastern and Western designers. The vivid image of the dragon as a symbol of Chinese culture brings an effect of colorfulness and conviviality to the finished product.

Conclusion. Since ancient times, the image of a dragon has occupied an important place in Chinese culture and art, therefore, the dragon pattern has acquired cult significance in works of art and decorative and applied creativity. The image of the dragon has been integrated into the art sphere of the Chinese nation for thousands of years. Being a symbol of the depth of Chinese history and culture, as well as the spiritual support of the Chinese nation, the image of the dragon has deeply penetrated into all aspects of people's lives and has become an indispensable and important symbol of Chinese traditional culture and cultural identity.  Since the dragon, which does not exist in the real world, is the result of national imagination, and its properties are the result of projections of personality qualities, society, and natural elements, its artistic image is endowed with exceptional expressiveness in style, which has enormous potential for wide practical application. China's creative industries continue to turn to the heritage of Chinese traditional culture, which creates a "Chinese style" in the field of global high and everyday fashion.