The name Guo Pei may not ring a bell, but trust us when we say you’ve seen her work. The Chinese haute couturière known by millions in the East was not heard of in America until last May when she helped make fashion history: Pei was responsible for the 55-pound canary-yellow, fur-trimmed gown and cape worn by Rihanna at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute gala in New York.
After 50,000 hours of work by seamstresses and more than two years worth of work (on that dress alone!), not only was the gown on the cover of American Vogue, but it has launched Guo on the haute couture schedule in Paris, which is, by all means an understatement, a huge deal.
“I don’t consider my work to be within the limits of conventional fashion, nor do I follow trends creatively or commercially,” she revealed in an interview with The New York Times, “My work displays feelings and emotions that are precious enough to be handed down generation after generation, as well as the experience of developing gowns directly with my clients. They are reflections of myself, and of them, of the scale of my dreams and the pride I have for Chinese culture.”
Today, Guo will formally present her collection for the first time in a major fashion week, alongside big name fashion household names such as Dior, Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Yves Saint Laurent, and Versace.
“This year is my 30th year in the fashion industry,” she said. “For the first 10 years I learned; for the second, I practiced, and now, during the third, I believe I am going to reap the rewards.”
We can not wait to see what comes of her collection or her newly found partnership with the Western fashion world.