Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 643

Proceedings of the 2021 Conference on Art and Design: Inheritance and Innovation (ADII 2021)

Analysis on Innovative Path of Lacquer Products in

the Context of Fashion
Jing Chen1,*
1
Fine Arts and Design College, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350001, China
*
Corresponding author. Email: 39600466@qq.com

ABSTRACT
Against the background that traditional lacquer art is difficult to adapt to the new life style and new fashion of
the times, this paper, based on the connection of design and technology, takes "fashion" as the research object,
explores the way to make lacquer art return to life through fashionable design with a sense of the times, and
establishes the method and way to turn lacquer art into fashionable products under the new values, with a view to
passing it on. The inheritance and development of traditional lacquer art in the contemporary social background
provides ideas.

Keywords: Lacquer art, Fashion, Culture, Innovation.

1. INTRODUCTION are not opposites. With a look back at the history, it

can be seen that the classic lacquer ware, such as
Lacquer art has experienced more than 7,000 the cinnabar gold and wood carving furniture, red
years of inheritance and development in China. lacquer bowls, and red lacquer baskets and so on,
Lacquer ware used to be the daily life utensils used are all products in line with the aesthetic taste of the
by the public at weddings or funerals as well as public at that time, which are closely connected
daily utensils. However, the vast majority of with the lifestyle of that time. Tradition is based on
modern lacquer ware is only used for viewing, so history, while fashion is based on contemporary
that the contemporary lacquer art culture cannot be times. Tradition is a history that has a living origin
integrated into the field of public life. In the context and walks into modern times. Tradition does not die
that the form, function, pattern and color of lacquer out because of modern fashion and each period in
products cannot adapt to the new way of life and history has its own unique fashion culture.
fashion of new times, the research on the On the one hand, Chinese traditional craft
relationship between modern lacquer art products culture lives in the present with an open vision,
and fashion as well as the path of fusion innovation relying on fashionable carriers and modern design
is of positive significance to explore the modern language. On the other hand, if fashion can fully
inheritance and innovation of lacquer art. understand and convey the image of craft culture, it
can be nourished by traditional culture and become
2. THE DEFINITION OF a classic. Fashion is rooted in culture. China's
TRADITIONAL CRAFT, DESIGN unique and rich craft and cultural resources provide
AND FASHION AND THEIR more creative resources for the fashion industry,
RELATION allowing fashion to show more breadth and depth.
Design and fashion need the support of culture in
The dictionary defines "fashion" as "a popular order to create works with traditional connotations.
trend", which contains two elements of the current The evolution from tradition to fashion needs to
time and prevalence [1]. After defining the concept refer to contemporary aesthetics and lifestyles and
of fashion, the relationship between tradition and advance through innovation in design. In short,
fashion can be clarified. "Tradition" and "fashion" fashion culture leads to different design directions.
*Fund: 2018 Young and Middle-aged Teacher Education Design points out the development direction of
Research Project in Fujian Province (JAS180360); Key Research traditional craft, and at the same time, design
Project of Minjiang University in 2018 (MYS18026).

Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press SARL.

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license -http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. 300
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creates new fashion [2]. It is necessary to find a with the design feelings of "East sentiment with
new connection between tradition and fashion and West appeal".
promote the sustainable development and
To sum up, by the link between design and
utilization of traditional cultural resources. In the
craft, the concept of craft fashion can be used to
stage of vigorously carrying forward the excellent
expand the new path of lacquer art innovation and
Chinese traditional culture and reshaping the
development. The cultural attribute, artistic
confidence of the traditional culture of the Chinese
attribute and natural attribute of lacquer art are the
nation today, it will be promising to introduce
elements that can be imported in modern design,
traditional crafts into the development of the
which fit the natural health, sense of culture, sense
fashion industry.
of art, quality and individualization that fashion life
pursues. While adhering to Chinese lacquer
3. TRADITIONAL TECHNOLOGY materials, inheriting traditional craft culture and
INNOVATION AND concreting unique Oriental aesthetic charm, it is
DEVELOPMENT OF THE necessary to integrate original personality and
CONCEPT OF FASHION aesthetic elements of modern fashion life and inject
humanistic care into the creation and application of
In the aspect of modern inheritance of products. The concept of craft fashion will enable
traditional craft, Japan pays attention to introducing lacquer art to establish the method and approach of
traditional craft and culture into fashion life. In his turning to fashion products close to life in the
book "Made with Heart and Soul", Toshiyuki Kita context of modern culture, and open up a new
put forward the concept of "future design comes vision of lacquer art innovation and development in
from traditional craft", showing that traditional a broader cross-field and interdisciplinary vision.
lacquerware enters modern life through design,
revealing a new way for Chinese lacquerware to
4. ANALYSIS ON THE FASHION
create traditional culture through design and bring
tradition into the present and future [3].
DESIGN PATH OF LACQUER
PRODUCTS
In "Design Research: Design for National
Identity and People's Livelihood", Li Yanzu Through the comparative analysis of traditional
elaborated a new concept — to transform lacquer art and modern fashion, the research idea of
traditional Chinese craft into products with high this paper is to find the converging interests
sense of and quality and design, so that China's between the two and explore the development path,
simple aesthetics for daily use and traditional craft so that the traditional lacquer art elements can live
culture can be rejuvenated in modern design and in the contemporary era in a fashionable way and
continue cultural memory [4]. In "The Language of integrate into the daily life. Nowadays, people have
Things", Deyan Sudjic proposed that the foundation experienced and accepted the impact of
of fashion lies in culture, which connects traditional multiculturalism on their life, and they have
culture, design and fashion, so that the traditional different demands for life. In line with the fact that
craft culture develops into a fashion craft people pursue natural health, sense of culture, sense
atmosphere closely related to life through the of art, quality, personalization as their life goals, the
introduction of design. core of making Chinese traditional lacquer art
fashionable lies in its natural lacquer material,
In the market, the integration of fashion brands lacquer language and lacquer quality. Therefore, it
and traditional crafts is becoming increasingly rich. is an effective way to realize the fashion of lacquer
"Shang Xia", part of the luxury brand Hermes art to find out the natural language, cultural
Group, is dedicated to inheriting Chinese aesthetic language and artistic language in line with the
culture and handmade crafts. It re-thinks them in modern aesthetic concept from the lacquer art, and
the context of current life, and transforms them into to integrate it into the modern life through the
"art" and "use" filled with breath of life of the modern design means and language expression and
times. Louis Vuitton invited the designer Chen expansion, and to find a new way to develop and
Louis Vuitton to customize the "Tea Journey" hard utilize the resources of lacquer art.
boxes for tea ceremony. The overall design deeply
excavates the Chinese classical traditional culture,
and integrates the interpretation and expression of
Western culture at the same time, blends Eastern
culture and Western aesthetics, endows the work

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4.1 Taking in the Beauty of Lacquer Art

Culture
Chinese lacquer art culture is an extension of
China's original creation art, with oriental
connotations lie mystery, nobleness and elegance,
and the pursuit of the unity of people, objects and
environment, and it advocates the harmonious
coexistence of implements. In the fashion creation
of lacquer art, it is necessary to understand the
essence of traditional lacquer art, dig deep into the
cultural view of lacquer, and express designers' Figure 2 Lacquer painted butterfly brooch.
design ideas through the medium of lacquer
perceptually, so as to meet the pursuit of modern 4.2 Broadening the Application Field of
fashion life for cultural sense. Toshiyuki Kita Lacquer Art
believes that western design tends to emphasize
functionality while neglecting the soul and 4.2.1 Crossover Cooperation with
temperature in products, and the materials and Different Fields
techniques of traditional lacquer art can just make
up for this deficiency [3]17. For example, the In the context of cultural consumption, product
lacquer style watch in the Credor series under has been beyond its original scope. The crossover
SEIKO (see "Figure 1") is designed with careful between traditional lacquer ware with other
screening and color matching by the world class functional products or fashion themes will see more
lacquer art master Quan Longfu, who presented to market space for development and use. It will
the public with exquisite painting art interpretation become an important direction for the traditional
of modern personality fashion by applying the lacquer fashion to introduce the concept of
traditional Japanese lacquer technique to the dial of “crossover” to the design of lacquer art. Through
the watch, in combination of the techniques of crossover cooperation, lacquer art can provide
mother-of-pearl and maki-e. Jewelry brand Van creative expression ways and source of inspiration
Cleef & Arpels cooperated with Japanese lacquer for other fields of design, which can meanwhile
master Junichi Hakose to develop a series of display the cultural flavor, vision elements and
lacquer painted butterfly brooches ("Figure 2"). moulding rules flexibly through modern design
They conform to no conventional pattern traditional means, by understanding the core elements of
Chinese lacquer both in terms of pattern and color, traditional lacquer art [4].
integrated with more fashionable meaning in
Integrated innovation can be explored between
addition to inheritance. The products are integrated
traditional lacquer art with packaging design,
into the spirit of the craftsman and the heart of the
jewelry design, industrial product design, furniture
hand, so that the products show more cultural
design, indoor setting design, cultural tourism and
deposits and warmth, presenting the luxury and
sculpture, etc. it can be modern technology
elegance with both eastern and western
products like information device and phone case,
temperament.
etc., or ornaments, decorations and bags, etc.
developed with fashion as the design idea. For
example, the bag brand GROTTO made an
exploration of integrating lacquer art and
fashionable bags, which is a refreshing trial; the
Yangzhou Lacquer Factory and the School of
Design, Nanjing University of the Arts have jointly
developed the U disk series and brooch series of
lacquer art gifts for Shanghai World Expo, which
are combined with the lacquer techniques such as
conch staining, gold size and lacquer engraving.
Figure 1 Lacquer watch. With fancy shapes, strong personality and
interesting connotation, the products have become

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the trend of fashion and meet the consumers'

pursuit of individuation, fashion and emotion.

4.2.2 Reflection of the Change of

Language in Accordance with the Times
The involvement of lacquer art in life depends
on the uniqueness of its materials. The beauty of its
material and texture is a major advantage for the Figure 3 The combination of lacquer and glass.
expression language of lacquer art. By use of
techniques such as lacquer engraving, lacquer
embossing, gold and silver inlay, jin xipi (a kind of
method to process lacquer with gold foil) to shape
texture, lacquer art can meet the pursuit of delicacy
and quality of modern fashion life, which is an
important entry point for traditional lacquer art to
get involved in modern fashion life.
At the same time, the diversified aesthetic has
put forward new requirements for the creation
techniques of lacquer art. The diversified Figure 4 Lacquered pottery cup.
expression forms of lacquer materials can expand
the expressive force of lacquer materials through 4.2.2.3 Functional Domain Extension
different stimulation and creation, and build a
The traditional lacquer material itself is a
broader formal language:
natural and environmentally friendly material. After
drying, the lacquer is waterproof, easy to be
4.2.2.1 Traditional Pattern Innovation
washed, light in volume, heat-insulated and wear-
It is necessary to redesign traditional patterns, resisting, and diverse in variety, all making it a very
seek changes in invariability and give the product a ideal daily necessities and high-quality decorative
new form of expression through transplant, medium. The Japanese are constantly expanding
induction and refining technique and with modern and exploring the application of lacquerware. At
expression language and adornment pattern, to meet present, the function of lacquerware is extended to
the modern people's demand for living quality and the field of medical care and health care, and health
taste. care products with sterilization and heat
preservation functions are developed in Japan [5].
4.2.2.2 Combination with Other Materials
4.2.2.4 Giving Play to the Unique Tactility and
Integrating lacquer materials with bamboo, Interactivity of Lacquer Materials
ceramics, metal, glass and leather, etc., as well as
3D printing technology, can provide ideas for The world is moving towards a way of life that
design ("Figure 3") and open up thinking. Taking coexists with nature. Lacquer art products give off a
the lacquered pottery cup series by Wang Yue as an natural feeling of recovering our original simplicity
example, the combination of pottery and lacquer is in use and each touch of the hand is the polishing of
used to create a batch of new tea ceremony utensils. the lacquer art works. The cumulative use of the
With ceramic as the main material of tire base and hand over a long period of time will gradually
lacquer as the main veneer, the high temperature reveal this kind of interaction, increasingly
resistance of ceramic materials is perfectly revealing a kind of implicit beauty, which skillfully
combined with the mysterious and elegant visual interacts with the language of perception, touch and
effect of lacquer materials and the jade-like touch texture to create a sense of beauty that resonates
of lacquer materials ("Figure 4"). with users. The unique temperament and spirituality
corresponds to the emotional needs of modern
people with fashion life.
Based on the unique characteristics of lacquer,
more carriers can be found for lacquer art adopted

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in a small range of products. It can play the role of positioning is divided into: general daily use,
finishing touch, and penetrate into people's daily cultural fashion, and personalized customization,
life. For example, the handle of vacuum cleaners with high-end and mass orientation lying parallel.
can be processed by use of lacquer art. Lacquer Manual production and mechanized production
materials can be decorated in the power switch coexist in different divisions and the system
panel, the handle in central control of cars so that corresponds to different design, process decoration
users will feel comfortable, and the protection and and manufacturing methods [6].
decorative function of lacquer art can be played.
The acceptance of classic inherent image
formed by traditional lacquer art by the public can
4.2.2.5 Updating the Concept of Lacquer Art
never be achieved overnight, and the stratification
Creation
and acceptance of users under the market
In the new era, lacquer artists are required to environment should be fully considered. Fashion is
have new ideas and improve their creative ability, always led by place of a few people, and the mass
pay more attention to the characteristics of lacquer is the follower of fashion, so, fashion designs of
art of the times and the exploration of the lacquer art should consider the distinction of light
relationship between lacquer art and the spot and hotspot of contemporary consumer market.
development and evolution of the times. Attention The hotspot consumer market is the product type
should be paid to the balance between "art" and that can be accepted by the public; the light-spot
"use" in lacquer art. Based on the study of modern consumer market is the product type designed for
people's aesthetic and life style, the inheritance of the small number of people. Through the
traditional lacquer art must meet the aesthetic needs cooperation of design elites and craftsmen, it is
of modern people, and be closely related to the necessary to promote market highlights, so as to
thoughts and feelings of modern people. Yu promote the market development and form
Zheng's "Traditional Handicrafts and Modern Life consumption hot spots. After repeated iteration and
the New Context of Lacquer Art" and Ma Hang's promotion, the breakthrough of qualitative change
"Lacquer Ware, Life and Attitude" show that the can be realized with quantitative accumulation, and
design style of lacquer art products is closely the modern and fashionable product images will be
related to the development of the times, reflecting accepted and loved by the public.
the evolution of people's demand for lacquer art
products in different times. Japanese lacquer artists 6. CONCLUSION
developed lacquered forks, trays, beer glasses, wine
glasses, coffee sets and many other tableware have The development path of craft fashion
developed the dining form of mixing and matching integrates design, craft, brand, culture and market
in line with things emerging in modern times, using and other fields. It is necessary to conform to the
wood as the body and decorating it with lacquer lifestyle of the contemporary people, open the
[5]. It is the key for traditional lacquer art to get modern innovation and development of the
involved in fashion life to grasp the spirit of the traditional lacquer art in a natural way of design
times and fully express lacquer materials and expression, and open the modern innovation and
techniques. development of the traditional lacquer art in a
fashion way, so that the traditional lacquer art
culture and the fashion industry can find the
5. THE CORRELATION OF
appropriate meeting point. Only in this way can the
FASHIONABLE PRODUCTS OF integration of craft and fashion go deep into the
LACQUER ART AND MARKET daily life and enter the hearts of the people [7].
Only by dealing with the relationship between
In addition to innovation factors, the
lacquer art and modern life fashion from the
development of lacquer art is limited by its
perspective of "utilization" and "development" can
complicated production technology, low production
a way for the traditional lacquer art be created to
efficiency and expensive lacquer materials.
return to the daily life of the public.
Therefore, in order to let the lacquer art into a
broader field of social production and life, it is
necessary consider the relationship between lacquer AUTHORS' CONTRIBUTIONS
art and machine production, batch manufacturing, This paper is independently completed by Jing
marketing and mass consumption. According to the Chen.
market and consumer demand, the market

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