Identifying the Motifs of Gilan Kilim and Its Application in Designing Men's and Women's Office Uniforms

Iranian handicrafts have a brilliant, long history and Iran is considered one of the main centers of this field in the world. Kilim (a flat tapestry-woven carpet) is one of the branches of handicrafts and kilim weaving in Gilan, in comparison to other branches of the handicrafts in this region, is regarded as one of the most important fields with stunning patterns, colors and textures. The variety of Gilan kilim designs and motifs is so great that by putting them together, some new, original and beautiful motifs would be achieved. Throughout history clothing has always represented the culture, personality and dignity of individuals and due to its great importance in people’s lives, it must have been rooted in people’s traditions and believes. The purpose of this study is to identify outstanding aesthetic potentials in Gilan kilim, and to provide a situation where these old and traditional designs and motifs can be used in designing modern clothes in the form of office suits. The present study seeks to answer the following questions: Could the patterns of Gilan kilim be used in clothing, especially for men’s and women’s office uniforms? Could the designs of such clothes only be applied in this area? The statistical population in the present research is the motifs of Gilan kilims and the sample size is 28 kilims. Based on library and field studies, and descriptive-analytical methodology and qualitative study method, these designs and motifs, as an unwritten encyclopedia of local historical symbols, can also be effective in the growth and development of other arts. In terms of design, Gilan kilim is classified into two categories: designs based on structure and those based on motifs. The structure-based designs can be divided into five groups, including: vāgire’i (adjacent/interlocking patterns), moharramāt (striped pattern), qābi (frame-like), toranjdār (medallion) and pictorial; and the motif-based designs are the same in number and can be categorized as: zoomorphic, vegetal, objects, humans, and abstract. Among these five designs, abstract designs are the most widely used and diverse ones seen on Gilan kilim. The application of such designs in these textiles is directly related to the beliefs of the weaver, weather conditions, daily life, food, clothing and the like, with symbolic meanings. The present study aims at studying the motifs of Gilan kilim, and it shows the possibility of using the mentioned designs in both types of women’s and men’s clothing in the form of office uniforms. The suits of each set could provide some benefits such as advertising purposes, giving prestige and increasing the credibility of that institution. All this should be prepared with regard to the goals of the organization, environmental climate, working environment and maintaining working personality. In this study, clothes are designed on the basis of the five motifs of animals, plants, objects, humans and abstract shapes and they should consider masculine and feminine office suits for a particular organization; which is related to the goals of that place. These designs have been selected by taking into account all the cultural and historical rituals and ceremonies of the people of Gilan. They have been presented to explore the possibility of encouraging diversity and continuous changes in them after negligence, for not going out of fashion. The results indicate that the motifs of such kilims have been in harmony with the natural environment of the region, which is formed and developed over thousands of years. Using such traditional motifs in clothing design is an attempt to change the modern clothing fashion with a formal and official nature.