Seeing The Yin-Yang Symbol Everywhere? Here’s Why

Fashion may be cyclical by nature, but it's also reactive by design. So as part of the ongoing search for some kind of meaning amidst tumultuous times, it's fitting to see shoppers gravitate towards items offering them just that: a lion-like ring that stands for strength, for example, or a horseshoe talisman that signifies good luck. Now, with a new year underway, there's a slew of trends cropping up to help ease us into 2021's next looming chapter of uncertainty — and according to Chinese-born and New York-based designer Daisy Wang, the already ubiquitous Yin and Yang symbol makes sense for the transitional period ahead. Below, Wang takes us through the powerful meaning behind this ancient Chinese symbol that we've been noticing everywhere.

"The use of the symbol in jewelry and garments started off as a belief that, based on the implication of Yin and Yang, it will help the wearer balance the good and evil in their lives," says Wang, founder of the contemporary chinoiserie streetwear brand Dawang. She points to the vibrant, contrasting colors mixed with traditional Chinese fabrics of her Lunar New Year capsule, which launched in January 2020, as an example of the subtle ways this idea of dualism manifests in clothing design. While the Yin-Yang motif itself isn't visible in her garments, its harmonious energy is at the core of the entire collection. More recently, however, the prevalence of this symbol has been less nuanced as it sweeps our social feeds in the form of manicures and masks while simultaneously popping up across collections by lust-worthy labels such as Staud, Gelareh Mizrahi, Fenty x Puma, and Balenciaga. Beyond its like-bait potential, the mainstream appeal of this black-and-white badge of balance is very much driven by the ancient principle it represents — one that's been part of Chinese culture since the start of its civilization.

"The theory of Yin and Yang was first introduced seven thousand years ago by Fuxi, a culture hero in Chinese legend and mythology," Wang explains, specifying that the popular Yin-Yang diagram we know today (also referred to as the symbol of Taiji) didn't come until later, during the Song Dynasty, when philosopher Zhou Dunyi used it to depict his interpretation of Fuxi’s texts. What's most remarkable about the diagram is that while you can't consider it to be a single, whole object due to the fact that it's clearly divided into two parts, it's not really two standalone forms either. Just like the sun and the moon, the light and the darkness, the good and the bad, even man and woman, one cannot exist without the other. The notion of Yin and Yang suggests that these seemingly opposite forces in the world are not just complementary, they're interdependent.

"[This concept] forms the way we view everything in the world... Yin and Yang cannot be separated from each other as there’s root of Yang in Yin, and root of Yin in Yang," Wang says. It's a powerful perspective that definitely resonates at a time where that delightfully familiar rhythm of the post-holiday back-to-school period is punctuated with a peculiar sense of dread as we all hold hands (but not actually!) and collectively stare into the great void of the unknown. We may yearn for the good old days with less gaping blank spaces in our social calendars, but the mere idea of a germ-infested gathering is enough to have us dousing ourselves with hand sanitizer right now. In this confusing sea of contrasts, it's the concept of balance and interconnectedness that can keep us afloat — so if accessorizing with a reminder of that philosophy gets us one step closer to practicing it effectively, then count us in.