‘Guo Pei: Couture Beyond’ exhibition at SCAD

With Guo Pei; Couture Beyond, the celebrated Chinese designer is getting her first solo museum exhibition in the United States.

Visitors to the 2015 China though the Looking Glass exhibition at the Met will remember some of her lavish creations, though it is probably the giant imperial yellow, fur-lined robe worn by Rihanna at the Met’s Costume Institute Gala that brought Guo Pei to international recognition (and launched dozens of memes!).

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has just opened an exhibition dedicated to her lavish couture creations that aims to showcase the well-established tradition of intricate craftsmanship in China.

The petite designer started her career as a fashion designer over 20 years ago and established a strong clientele base amongst the Chinese elite as well as Chinese brides. Her first formal couture show was in 2004 and her presentations have become established as true spectacles in their own right. She became the first Chinese designer to be officially invited on the calendar of the prestigious Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in 2016.

The SCAD exhibition has about 30 garments on display, including pieces from her 2008 An Amazing Journey in a Childhood Dream collection and her 2012 Legend of the Dragon collection, along with some of the height-defying footwear she created for each collection and a selection of prêt-à-porter dresses and jackets.

Guo Pei’s work always showcases opulent embroidery and elaborate embellishment regularly incorporating Chinese imagery and symbols (fans, dragons, porcelain) that give a clear aesthetic to her creation.

The exhibition runs until March 4, 2018, at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film.