Few figures in the world of fashion boast a career as illustrious and impactful as that of Chinese couture artist Guo Pei. Renowned for her sculptural masterpieces that seamlessly blend traditional Eastern craft techniques with Western tailoring, Guo has consistently pushed the boundaries of fashion design within Asia, solidifying China’s position as a powerhouse in the global fashion scene and inspiring generations of designers. This past Saturday, the highly anticipated exhibition, “Guo Pei: Fashioning Imagination,” officially opened its doors to the public at the iconic M+ visual arts museum in Hong Kong. This is the first exhibition dedicated to Guo’s work in East Asia, and it marks a significant milestone in her career.
Sponsored by HSBC bank and developed in close collaboration with Guo’s atelier, Rose Studio, the exclusive exhibition occupies M+’s expansive Main Hall Gallery, with an additional presentation in the Main Hall on the museum’s ground floor. Divided into five compelling themes, each highlighting pivotal moments in Guo’s career and design journey, the exhibition showcases over forty haute couture show pieces flown in from her Beijing studio. Among these captivating designs are her 2015 “Garden of Soul” collection, exploring themes of fables and nature, her 2017 “Legends” collection, which reimagines garments as dynamic sculptures, reflecting the influence of architecture on fashion, and her 2018 “Elysium” collection, with the iconic “Golden Dream Boat” gown serving as the centerpiece of the entire exhibit.
Adding depth and context to the exhibition, curated pieces of art and design from M+’s past collections are interspersed throughout, sparking a dialogue on the interconnectedness of fashion and the broader artistic landscape. The exhibition also features Guo’s groundbreaking debut “Magnificent Gold” gown from 2006 and the unforgettable “Yellow Queen” dress famously worn by Rihanna at the 2015 Met Gala, two of fashion’s most treasured archival pieces and testaments to Guo’s extraordinary talent. “This is the first exhibition I have done back in my homeland,” Guo shares, reflecting on the significance of the exhibition. “It is an accumulation of all the blood, sweat, and tears across decades of hard work, and it means the world to me to be able to display all of it in an Asian museum that is close to my community and roots.”
Ikko Yokoyama, the lead curator for Design and Architecture at M+, highlights the exhibition’s groundbreaking nature: “Guo Pei: Fashioning Imagination is the first large-scale exhibition in East Asia dedicated to the legendary couture artist. The exhibition journeys through Guo’s rich universe, charting her profound cultural references and transcendent creations that have made a deep impact in the worlds of fashion and popular culture.” Yokoyama emphasizes the profound influence Guo has had on modern haute couture, extending into contemporary art: “By exhibiting her fantastic collections and career-defining garments alongside works from the M+ Collections, we invite visitors to consider the artistry of fashion design and its associations with contemporary visual culture.”
