Chinese Style in Contemporary Fashion: Practice-based studies on the application of culture in fashion design

The thesis argues for a shift in design thinking, moving from external form to spiritual core as driver to understand cultural structures and their contemporary interpretation.</p><p dir="ltr">Practice-based experimentation explored the theme of Song dynasty culture in a creative workshop participated in by young Chinese designers; and a contemporary ready-to-wear Collection developed by the researcher as Designer. Comparing differences in cultural material selection, transformation strategies, and final outputs, the study revealed how collective cultural cognition, personal experience, and expectations of extra-cultural markets influence design process and outcomes.</p><p dir="ltr">As a result, the study proposes the Grafting Design method which treats source cultures as rootstock, providing vitality and foundation, while contemporary design acts as the scion determining expressive form.

The method provides an operational frameworks panning cultural research, material refinement, and contemporary application, a framework that emphasises organic integration between cultural spirit and contemporary context through the graft. The resultant design outcome embodies the Interpenetration style, distinct from categories of hybrid style or fusion style that blur the source culture. Interpenetration style enables mutual permeation between two cultural systems while preserving cultural continuity.

The research ultimately emphasises that solid cultural cognition and ethical self-awareness form the bedrock of contemporary design in which designers act as cultural translators.</p><p dir="ltr">The study's contributions to knowledge are: 1) a better understanding of how the developmental trajectory and core dilemmas of Chinese style shape design outcomes, and2) the crucial importance of the spiritual core in design realisation.

It proposes 3) the Grafting Design method that retains the visibility and viability of both root (cultural source)and branch (contemporary realisation), and 4) its realisation in Interpenetration style offering clear value coordinates for cross-cultural fashion design. This research lays a foundation for diversifying cultural genealogies and dimensions of market reception, promoting the formation of a more inclusive, reflective, and creative global cultural design ecosystem.</p>