On The Application Of Traditional Mongolian Cultural Elements To Modern Mongolian Costume Design

The modern Mongolian costume design needs to attach great attention to the intensive study of traditional Mongolian costumes on spiritual level and to the absorbing of essence of traditional Mongolian culture on material level, in order to reproduce the traditional culture in the modern design of Mongolian costume, conforming to the modern aesthetic concepts and preserving the essence of Mongolian costumes. The Mongolia ethnic group is a blending of many northern minorities. Mongolians live a nomadic life following the pasture in the northern grassland of China, which forms the characteristic nomadic clothing of Mongolians. Gained the gradual development and maturity from the long-term productive and living activities, such clothing synergizes the essence of the historical clothing of northern ethnic groups. Moreover, the implementation of opening policy and enhancement of economic and cultural communications with Asian and European nationalities in Yuan Dynasty makes the Mongolian culture bear international characteristics, which has profound influence to the development of Mongolian costumes. Developing till now, Mongolian costumes, bearing profound accumulations of nomadic culture, has become one of the treasures of our national costumes. Along with the globalization of world economy, the digitization of information dissemination, people's lifestyles and the aesthetic concepts have been changed. Therefore, the traditional Mongolian costumes could not suit modern life, facing the urgent need of weeding through the old to bring forth the new and of recreation. Hence, it is important to explore how to withdraw these characteristic traditional Mongolian elements and how to apply them properly to the design of modern Mongolian costumes.The withdrawal of traditional Mongolian elements involves a large scope, covering nearly all the contents of traditional Mongolian culture, including the material wealth created by humanity, the instruments of labor, as well as such physical products as the basic necessities for maintenance. Some of these elements exist in the forms of visible materials, which could be utilized in design after using methods like induction, deduction, classification, division, deconstruction or reorganization, and after proper selection of typical ones. However, some other elements exist in forms like folk art, music, dance, literature, game, language, characters, handicraft, myth, etiquette and so on, which requires designers'mindful sensation in order to exhibit the feelings in elemental forms. This is a process of changing from sensibility to rationality and of re-sensing and re-rationalizing. By extracting elements from traditional Mongolian costumes, this paper will focus on exploring the relationships among rock painting, Mongolian characters and Mongolian graphic patterns, as well as the deconstruction and combination of these elements.Design could not exist without life, because what designing studies is the lifestyle which decides directly the utility function and aesthetic taste of the design works. With the development of time and progress of society, traditional Mongolian costumes could not suit the lifestyle and pace of this modern society. Thus, it is an urgent topic for us to study on how to combine the traditional national elements with the modern design theory and fashion trends, and how to design modern Mongolian costumes that conforms to modern aesthetic standards and satisfies market demands. The most essential part of modern Mongolian costume design is to accommodate to the modern lifestyle and aesthetic concepts and to work on the modern practical function of Mongolian costumes. By using artistic techniques as borrowing, deconstructing, ornamenting, referencing and creating, the basic Mongolian style elements could be withdrawn. These elements could then be designed into modern Mongolian costumes which transmit visuals of the Mongolian elements more vividly, conform to modern aesthetic standards and manifests the national characteristics of modern Mongolian costumes. Rather than a simple repetition of traditional national clothing, the modern Mongolian costume design is to create the new modern design style on the basis of inheriting the tradition. Modern design of Mongolian costume needs to combine design and art by grasping the trends of design, by utilizing scientific technology as instrument, by taking modern design concepts as foundation, by applying new materials, the new crafts and new technology, in order to promote the innovation and development of Mongolian costume design.