When pop star Rihanna walked up the stairs at the Met Gala in a gigantic yellow Chinese robe replete with rich embroideries and fur trimming, she unleashed a flood of often unflattering memes on social media but brought immediate international attention to Chinese couturier Guo Pei.

A well-known couturier in China, thanks to her numerous flamboyant costume creations for popular TV shows seen by millions in her homeland, Guo Pei was still relatively unknown in the West though she has an impressive rolodex of private international clients who appreciate the exquisite craftsmanship of her designs.

With two of her elaborate gowns selected to be part of the Met exhibition “China through the Looking Glass,” including a giant golden bell inspired by Imperial China, the petite-designer’s work has now also received the recognition of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum.

During Haute Couture Week, earlier this month, the designer chose to present her flamboyant designs in Paris, for the first time. The location, the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, was very symbolic for the designer as her creations are anchored into traditional crafts, largely thanks to an atelier of more than 300 skilled people.

Born in Beijing in 1967, Guo Pei studied fashion at a time when millions were still wearing the ubiquitous Mao shirt. After graduating in 1986, she started designing children’s clothing before moving to a privately-owned women’s clothing company, Beijing Tian Ma Garments & Accessories Co. In 1997, she took the plunge and opened Rose Studio with her husband, who is now the CEO of the company.

The presentation at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs was an appetizer for her new haute couture brand, Guo Pei Paris, which she intends to formally unveil next January with a runway presentation.

First published on BlouinArtinfo.com