Guo Pei’s first solo U.S. exhibition, “Guo Pei: Couture Beyond” opened its doors in September to a world of ornate beauty and fantasy. SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film is exhibiting more than 30 of the Chinese couturière’s most iconic looks, some of which you might recognize. The dresses display a level of immense craftsmanship, but they also serve as a medium for the audience to connect with the designer’s artistry.
Entering the exhibit, guests are instantly struck by impeccable beauty as the leading dress comes into view, a preview of what’s to come. Wandering about, visitors marvel at every single detail that is contained within a Guo Pei design, such as the gold or silver spun threads that make the garments shine or the hand painting and hand embroidery that define her couture.
The exhibition is aided by a virtual library of images which can be accessed online or through one of the museum docents. Images of original fashion illustrations, inspiration photography and traditional Chinese figures serve as a visual resource to understand where Guo Pei draws inspiration.
Walking through, SCAD FASH guests will recognize the blue-and-white Ming porcelain-inspired dress with hand-painted motifs that was worn by 2012’s Miss China. They will also be surprised by how the dress’s Swarovski crystals glimmer in the light, a detail not captured in photographs. At the far end, you see the gorgeous long train dress worn by Carmen Dell’Orefice, who was accompanied by “imperial guards” in order to properly carry it down the runway.
And suddenly you see it. The icon. The legend. The dramatically embroidered, imperial yellow cape-gown that Rihanna donned at the Met Gala in 2015. It leaves one breathless as guests’ eyes roam through each artisanal detail.
The embroidery on each garment is a spectacle at which to marvel since every millimeter of the garment is taken into consideration. But don’t forget to look down as each garment is paired with its original height-defining shoes also design by Guo Pei.
While Guo Pei might not be an official named couturière by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, she employs the same handcrafted technique that defines haute couture. Perhaps that’s why she made history as the first Chinese national designer to be an “invited member.” Not only is she making history, she is also preserving it by conserving traditional Chinese crafts and techniques nearly lost during the 20th century. This is exactly what “Guo Pei: Couture Beyond” embodies; it is the coming together of past techniques and modern vision that allows the public to feel how history is being made in that very exhibition.
The exhibition is open through March 4, 2018, at the SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta. A complementary exhibition will be on display from October 27, 2017, through March 4, 2018, at SCAD’s Pei Ling Chan Gallery at the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd and West Harris Street in Savannah.
Written by Paola Rios
Images courtesy of SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film