When Rihanna walked the 2015 Met Gala red carpet, many people were in awe of her now-iconic gown. To refresh your memory, the gown was a 25 kg yellow empress dress with layers of silk and intricate embroidery. This begged the question: Who created this masterpiece? It was quickly revealed that the massive gown was designed by Chinese designer Guo Pei, catapulting her to international fame.
Guo Pei had started young, as she had developed a passion for dressmaking when she was only two years old. She has been designing couture for over 30 years now, and employs nearly 500 skilled artisans to produce her stunning creations, some of which can take thousands of hours and up to two years to complete! Known as the ‘Couture Queen’, she has done many fantastical and extravagant looks for many influential people around the world. Today, we are going to be taking a look at some of the haute couture that Guo Pei has showcased over the years.
2016 Spring/Summer Courtyard
Right after designing the opulent yellow gown previously worn by the one and only Riri at the Met Gala, all eyes were on Guo Pei’s Paris couture debut, and she did not disappoint.
2016 Autumn/Winter Encounter
‘Encounter’ featured a collection of hyper-feminized gowns that exuded opulence. Her “grand finale” dress was a handmade design featuring thousands of sequins that took 20,000 hours to complete.
2017 Spring/Summer Legends
Inspired by the murals of Switzerland’s Saint Gallen Cathedral, this collection featured a selection of fantastical gowns straight out of a movie. “I don’t want them to be commercial at all,” she once told CoutureNotebook.
2017 Autumn/Winter Guo Pei x Caroline Scheufele
This was a match made in HEAVEN. Caroline Scheufele, Chopard’s co-president and artistic director, collaborated with Guo Pei for the first time to present their ideal vision of high jewellery and haute couture.
2018 Spring/Summer Elysium
Guo Pei’s next fantastical collection presented flowers in all shapes and forms. It focused on the theme of “Life” on Elysium, which was envisioned as a joyous and miraculous island.
2018 Autumn/Winter L’architecture
Inspired by a Parisian museum of architecture and monumental sculpture, this collection highlights the beauty of structure in architecture, the beauty of contour, and the beauty of rationality and equilibrium.
2019 Spring/Summer East Palace
Like many of Guo Pei’s previous designs, this collection combines the finest Chinese craftsmanship and Western stylistic elements with sophisticated technical innovation.
2019 Autumn/Winter Alternate Universe
Inspired by myths, fables, and religious texts, the concept of this collection revolves around the idea of light and dark co-existing in this ‘alternate universe’.
2020 Spring/Summer Himalaya
For this, Guo Pei explored the philosophical dialogue between primitive and civilization, recreating the Himalayas based on her imagination.
2020 Autumn/Winter Savannah
Guo Pei’s Autumn/Winter 2020 collection was inspired by the mystical African grasslands, as well as a traditional weaving technique from the Philippines.
Guo Pei has been named one of the Business of Fashion’s 500 most influential people. She is shaping the global fashion industry, and her future holds many exciting possibilities – definitely a Couture Queen you should keep your eye on!
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