Renowned Chinese haute couture designer Guo Pei in Aotearoa

Just a glimpse of Guo Pei's magnificent gowns reveal her vivid imagination. 

China's most well-known haute couture designer has opened an exhibition, Guo Pei: Fashion, Art, Fantasy at Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Art Gallery showcasing more than 60 breathtaking and majestic gowns; some of which have never been on display at any other museum.

Drawing inspiration from fantasy, mythological stories and even religion, Guo's colourful and structured gowns are meticulously handcrafted by hundreds of embroiderers and take up to two years to create. The images of Chinese fairy tales and legends on her creations pay homage to her heritage. 

Born during the cultural revolution, Guo was nine years old when it ended. Until then, clothing was plain uniforms of grey and black. Guo says her grandmother’s stories encouraged her to delve into her imagination and tap into her spiritual side. 

"My grandmother was born in the 19th century and she would talk about delicately embroidered flowers and butterflies that looked like they were flying up from the garments. I'd imagine what it'd be like to live in those worlds and environments.

"My garments are a visual language. To connect other people with my work and design," Guo tells Culture 101's Perlina Lau. 

An artist and designer for more than 40 years, Guo studied fashion design in 1982 - when the concept of fashion and designing garments was still foreign. 

"People would respond with 'really? Clothes need to be designed?' But as China opened up, people started to chase something that is beautiful and more aesthetic."

The artist launched her own label and atelier, Rose Studio in 1997. Guo was designing ready-to-wear lines before gaining a reputation for high-quality and detailed bespoke gowns.

"I think I’ve been educating people in China about what couture is, about its beauty, because I think for this form of fashion to be accepted, the population needs to reach a certain level to understand the importance of couture art."

Guo exploded onto the western world stage in 2015 after singer and entrepreneur Rihanna wore her Yellow Queen gown to the Met Gala to initiate the museum's China: Through the Looking Glass exhibition. The 25-kilogramme, fur-trimmed canary yellow cape dress spawned internet memes almost immediately and was dubbed the 'omelette dress'. It went viral and catapulted Guo onto the world stage. 

But the dress was not made for Rihanna. It was showcased in 2010 as part of Guo's One Thousand and Two Nights collection. The model wore the heavy dress along with extremely tall shoes, walking down the catwalk slowly and painfully. 

"Before she went down to the stage - her legs were shaking. I was under the stage and felt really disappointed because I felt like the garment’s full glory wasn’t shown," recalls Guo. 

But because the model was walking so slowly, a plethora of photographs were taken of the gown, and eventually Rihanna saw that dress on the internet and her agent contacted Guo's team. The dress had been stored away in a box for half a decade. 

"I was at the Met Gala and while I didn't see the moment Rihanna was going onto the stage and I was about to leave, but then I heard a huge applause behind me and at that moment, I realised, this is a success."

Travelling back to China after the Met Gala, Guo was stopped by customs officers. She thought she was about to be detained but they recognised her saying "Guo Pei? Rihanna?!" and beckoned the other employees to greet her. 

Arguably, following the Rihanna moment would have been the prime opportunity to capitalise on the newly-found Western fame and while celebrities did approach Guo to design custom gowns, she turned them down.

"I don't design garments for personalities I'm not familiar with. If I don't know that person, I can't reach 100 percent of my creativity and for it to be fitting for that person."

By 2015, Guo Pei had already been creating and designing for 30 years. Her clients include China's elite and she is the go-to designer for television presenters and film stars like Li Bingbing and Zhang Ziyi. She has created looks for weddings, costumes for films, the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the annual CCTV television gala. 

In 2016 she was accepted into the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture - the governing body for the French fashion industry. An exclusive club made up of mostly European men, Guo was invited to become a member. 

"The couture federation is like the peak of the mountain. It's the dream for many fashion designers."

That same year, she was named one of TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People and one of the Business of Fashion's 500 most influential people shaping the global fashion industry.

But Guo insists she is not interested in fame and wealth. 

Since opening Rose Studio in 1997, Guo has never had any investors in the company. 

"I would never ask anyone influential or wealthy to give me money because I do not want to be shackled by others. 

"You lose your freedom as an artist and designer. I just want to create my own things."

Guo has one piece of advice for new and young designers. 

"Don't chase fame, wealth and reputation. Just do your best and they will come to you."

Guo Pei: Fashion, Art, Fantasy is at Toi o Tāmaki, Auckland Art Gallery until 5 May, 2024.

A video interview in Mandarin with Guo Pei by RNZ Asia's Duoya Lu is also available.