Research on the Semiotic Dilemma of Auspicious Motifs in Fashion Design within Cross-Cultural Contexts: A Semiotic Analysis Based on Design Practice
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/vrwzwb96Keywords:
Cultural Semiotics, Cross-cultural Design, Chinese Auspicious Motifs, Fashion Branding, Semantic Drift, Cultural Appropriation, Form-Semantics-Pragmatics Model, Luxury Fashion, Symbolic Translation, Design EthicsAbstract
Amidst the intensification of cross-cultural exchange in global fashion, traditional Chinese auspicious motifs have become prominent visual resources. However, their translation by international luxury brands frequently results in semiotic misinterpretation, cultural appropriation, and ethical controversy. This study investigates the mechanisms of semantic drift and cultural dislocation in the cross-cultural application of Chinese symbolic elements through a semiotic analysis grounded in design practice. A “Form-Semantics-Pragmatics” triaxial model is constructed to deconstruct representative case studies from 2000 to 2025, including Dior’s mamianqun, Gucci’s dragon motifs, and YSL’s qipao reinterpretations. The analysis reveals three primary deviations: (1) visual symbolization-formal simplification and fragmentation of motifs; (2) contextual misinterpretation-semantic substitution due to cultural dissonance; and (3) ethical conflict-functional alienation through ritual subversion and commodification. Diachronically, these misinterpretations have evolved from single-element appropriation to symbolic collage and, recently, to systemic cultural substitution. The triaxial model elucidates the structural imbalance in cross-cultural translation, where emphasis on visual form undermines cultural semantics and social pragmatics. To address this, the study proposes strategies such as localized collaboration, cultural paratext integration, and ethical calibration. Theoretically, it advances cultural semiotics in design research; practically, it offers methodological guidance for achieving a dynamic balance between commercial innovation and cultural authenticity in global fashion discourse.
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