Historical Context

As the eastern starting point of the ancient Silk Road, Xi'an has served as a convergence point for Eastern and Western fashion since antiquity. i'an has long been a confluence of Eastern and Western fashion, dating back to antiquity. During the Tang Dynasty, Chang'an (now Xi'an) witnessed the juxtaposition of two distinct styles: the "Hu-style riding attire" characterized by close-fitting jackets, trousers, and boots, against the loose-fitting Han Chinese robes (hanfu). Meanwhile, Persian patterns merged with Han-Tang brocade, establishing a foundation for the city's inclusive aesthetic.  This cultural exchange fostered an environment in which foreign craftsmanship and local traditions coexisted in perfect harmony.              Today, remnants of this rich heritage can be found in Xi'an's silverware workshops, nestled within the historic Muslim Quarter, where artisans continue to blend Sogdian techniques with local folk customs. Similarly, tie-dye studios at Yongxingfang (永興坊) showcase the enduring legacy of these ancient influences, now expertly woven into the fabric of local traditions. 

Silk Road's Influence on Xi'an

Xi'an's fashion identity is deeply rooted in Han-Tang Silk Road heritage. Now, in Xian the Qujiang（曲江） New District's The Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City has developed haute couture collections inspired by the "Rainbow Feather Garment Dance," integrating treasure flower patterns and draped fabric cuts into contemporary designs.

The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum(秦始皇帝陵博物院) collaborates with local universities to restore Qin Dynasty armor patterns through AI, creating design repositories for national trend brands. The former state-owned textile factory, now transformed into Banpo International Art District, converts vintage looms into installation art, attracting avant-garde designers.

The Silk Road-Inspired Fashion Collection

This collection reimagines the artistic essence of female figurines from the prosperous Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, where women wore ruqun (upper garment and skirt combinations) characterized by short upper garments with long skirts reaching the chest. The garments feature flowing silhouettes, with wide-sleeved shirts boasting generous sleeve openings that convey elegance and nobility. Shoulder drapes add a touch of ethereal movement, while low necklines reflect the era's the social openness.

The collection employs genuine silk rhombus satin, prized for its soft, lightweight texture that accentuates feminine forms and enhances garment magnificence. The production process utilizes jiaxie (夾纈 resist-dyeing), a technique exceptionally popular during the prosperous Tang period. This method involves sandwiching fabric between two carved flower boards with identical patterns before dying, which can sometimes produce two or three colors. Jiaxie patterns are distinguished by their symmetrical and balanced beauty. While often associated with women'sscarves and skirts, Tang Dynasty jiaxie also decorated furniture, as exemplified by screens preserved in Japan's Shosoin.

The collection's patterns feature intricate persimmon calyx motifs and geometric designs. Inspired by artistic interpretations of Tang sancai female figurines from the Shaanxi Tang Sancai Art Museum, the costumes, patterns, and color schemes were carefully designed to evoke the essence of ancient China.

Design Philosophy

This Tang sancai figurine-inspired design project exemplifies a systematic approach to elevating Chinese cultural elements from mere materials to become integral parts of traditional heritage. The collection seamlessly integrates the essence of Tang Dynasty ceramic art with costume culture, achieving this synthesis through several core elements.

The color system seamlessly merges the traditional five-element five-color theory (featuring green, red, yellow, white, and black) with seasonal and natural correspondences. The Tang sancai glaze colors, predominantly characterized by vibrant hues of yellow, green, and orange, are skillfully translated into costume palettes that evoke specific meanings: yellow signifies nobility, green represents vitality, and white embodies simplicity. The strikingly contrasting color combinations not only showcase the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty but also align with traditional aesthetics, echoing the elegant postures of the figurines from which this design inspiration is drawn.

Decorative elements skillfully transform Tang sancai's characteristic geometric and floral glaze patterns into intricate costume embroidery or prints. Through meticulous research of ancient texts and dye restoration experiments, the design team recreated lost Tang Dynasty techniques like jiaxie, successfully marrying traditional techniques with modern creativity to manifest hanfu's harmonious beauty while infusing new vitality into Tang sancai art.