Mongolian Ornament in the Design of a Modern Tote Bag
In traditional Mongolian attire, the silhouette, materials, color, and decorative elements play a vital role. Among these, ornaments hold a special place, lending the clothing its distinctiveness and added meaning.
While working on a project dedicated to Mongolian clothing, I focused on the patterns. I became interested in how traditional motifs could exist outside the context of national costume and become part of contemporary everyday fashion.
This led to the idea of creating a shopper bag featuring Mongolian ornaments—an accessory that unifies cultural heritage with modern design.
In my project, I merged three traditional Mongolian ornaments—Zagasan khee (fish), Uulan khee (mountains), and Usan dolgio khee (water waves)—into a single narrative design for a tote bag. I wanted to do more than just decorate an accessory with national patterns; I aimed to create a cohesive composition where every element holds its place and complements the others. The fish, mountains, and sea form a unified natural landscape, as if telling a small story about life, movement, and the harmony of nature.
Print Technology Selection
For applying the design, I chose full-color digital textile printing (Direct-to-Garment or DTG) using suitable equipment and compatible fabric, or industrial pigment printing on textiles in a 30 × 30 cm size.
