The Withering Flower: A Unique Fusion of Fashion and Literature

Angela Tsai Jung Chiang's Award-Winning Textile Design Inspired by Oriental Symbolism

Angela Tsai Jung Chiang, a graduate of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, has created a unique textile design collection called 'The Withering Flower'. Inspired by the power of the flower image in Oriental settings, the collection is a striking blend of fashion, literature, and cultural symbolism. The designs are based on the flower's metaphorical representation in classical Chinese literature, particularly in 'The Dream of the Red Chamber', a novel that reflects the lives of women in a feudal society.

The collection features a series of silk screen printed fabrics and dresses, each piece being 2 meters long and made of sheer nets. The dresses are adorned with flower motifs that hold specific meanings according to their symbolism in Chinese literature. The textile printing technique used in the collection creates an illusion of prints floating in the air or appearing like tattoos on the skin when the dress is worn, adding a unique aesthetic appeal to the designs.

The 'Withering Flower' collection was created using silk screen printing on stretchy and see-through nets. The specific mixture of textile binder ratios was used to ensure the prints would adhere securely to the fabric surface. After silk screen printing, the fabrics were baked and steamed to enhance colour vibrancy and further secure the binders onto the fabrics.

The collection's hand printed textiles are stretchy, waterproof, and remain opaque on sheer net fabrics, creating an illusion of glossy stickers floating in the air. Unlike digital sublimation printing on sheer fabrics, this textile collection developed a screen printing technique to keep the opaqueness and vibrancy of the prints staying securely on top of the fabric surface.

The research for 'The Withering Flower' collection began with studying 'The Dream of the Red Chamber'. The fallen and decayed petals beautifully yet melancholically symbolized the female protagonist’s struggle and sorrow in an oppressed feudal aristocrat society. The flower is a common subject for personification in Chinese literature and poetry, the meaning each flower embodies, or given by the writer and poet, is derived from its cultural and historic values.

The 'Withering Flower' is a celebration of the power of the flower image. The flower is a popular subject written as personification in Chinese literature. In contrast to the blooming flower’s popularity, images of the decaying flower are often associated with jinx and taboos. The collection looks at what shapes a community’s perception on what is sublime and abject. Designed in 100cm to 200cm length of tulle dresses, silkscreen printing on translucent mesh fabrics, the textile technique allows the prints to stay opaque and stretchy on mesh, creating an appearance of prints afloat in the air.

Angela Tsai Jung Chiang's 'The Withering Flower' collection is a testament to the power of innovative design and cultural symbolism. It is a unique blend of fashion, literature, and cultural traditions that pushes the boundaries of textile design. The collection's success is a testament to Chiang's creativity, technical skill, and dedication to her craft.