Guo Pei Exhibit

 

 

 

 

Fashion shouldn’t be just about the present.
I care about the meaning behind the details. Therefore, the embroidery and motifs you see on my clothing all have stories behind them. -Guo Pei (2018)

Introducing Vancouver art galleries first ever fashion exhibit: Guo Pei: Couture beyond, a collaboration with SCAD FASH museum of fashion, and first ever Canadian exhibit of the designers work.

The exhibit dazzles with more than 40 different pieces from the designers work ranging from 2006 to 2017. Guo Pei is most noted for being the first Chinese designer to be recognized as haute couture. a highly exclusive group of designers that consists of the top couture brands ranging from Chanel to Christian Dior. Haute Couture meaning high sewing everything has to be hand made and one if the requirements is to have an atelier in Paris itself with at least 15 Parisian workers.

Guo Pei is the first to represent her nation in the world of Couture. The exhibit has magnificent dialogue painted onto the walls to accompany the pieces helping the onlooker to see the background and culture in each of the looks!  Many looks include intricate jewelry pieces and elaborate shoes that not only make for a perfectly accessorized look but also create a fusion between Western and Eastern fashion.

Worn by Rihanna to the 2015 Met gala (China through the looking glass), the highlight of the exhibit is this golden cape that took two years to make. Pei commented that: “The focus and the attention paid to this dress will make it remembered by the world—[what] I want is to make them remember. . . . It is my responsibility to let the world know China’s tradition and past, and to give the splendor of China a new expression. I hope that people do know China in this way.”

Be sure to catch the queen of Chinese couture’s work! A walk around the exhibit makes for a wonderful afternoon of fashion/art, situated in the heart of downtown it’s only a few minutes walk from multiple coffee shops and boutiques. The exhibit runs until mid January! Be sure to check it out!