Oriental elements have been a major source of inspiration for both Western and Eastern fashion designers and have been reused in contemporary fashion. Chinese and Japanese cultures are the two most commonly used Oriental cultures for inspiration in the fashion world. In this paper, the semiotics of Orientalism is utilized to discuss Poiret’s costumes and the meaning of Oriental motifs in the modern clothing. On analysis of Poiret’s costumes and modern fashion designs influenced by Oriental dresses, it can be seen that their works reflect Orientalism and anti-representational theory. That is, Western designers would not express the original meaning of any Oriental imagery in any new design. Fashion designers will continue creating and experimenting with blending different ethnic styles together in response to the trend of globalization.
