Made In China

Visual Research of Concepts Found
in Traditional Chinese Fashion

Yu Feng

Semiotics, as applied to the visualizations of traditional Chinese fashion, may be employed to uncover heretofore "hidden" insight in regards to Chinese culture. For this thesis, I intend to explore the principles of pattern, color, and cutting lines of traditional Chinese clothing, and ascertain how these principles can be translated into a visual language. In contrast to established descriptions of a place or ethnicity, a semiotic approach offers the tools and processes for interpreting the meaning of traditional Chinese fashion. This thesis presents an example regarding the possibilities of exploring cultural phenomena as a form of communication. Such an analysis gives insight into the visual art cultural history of the
expanding population.