How do human behavior patterns and friction with objects affect clothing itself?

A conjunction of ancient Chinese and Mediaeval European costume has inspired Guan Songyuan’s MA Project. Drawing on her own culture, she studied historic garments and learnt the skills to produce ancient Chinese garments patterns and fabrics, a combination of Chinese and Western influences.

This collection uses ancient Chinese costumes as the basis of a ‘mirroring experiment’ with Guan photographing their front, back and sides. In observing various angles of the sample, it becomes a series. Each garment is made by extending a series of drawing patterns through each mirror image experiment. Each mirror experiment has a different shape, each is an innovation and a new form of pattern-study. From these new shapes and profiles of garments are created.

These garments explore the connection between human and material, the connection between old and new clothes and material, the shape change caused by people’s long-term specific postures, and the way these are reflecred in deformation, damage and discolouration of clothes.

Guan’s work draws on Chinese traditional culture and art as a rich art resource of design materials and forms for modern fashion design. Her interest is in the specific characteristics of national styles and she is a strong advocate for Chinese fashion designers embrace of Chinese culture and history.