GUO PEI

A look into Asian culture through the lens of Chinese couture

Legion of Honor

In August 2022, I visited the Guo Pei: Couture Fantasy exhibit at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. It featured over 80 pieces from China's first couturier, Guo Pei. Through a blend of everything from Chinese imperial history to European architecture to Buddhist symbolism, Guo Pei's designs are extravagant pieces that blur the line between fashion, art, and sculpture.

As a Chinese Studies, International Relations, and Design triple major, this exhibit had a bit of everything I am interested in. I want to introduce a few pieces that stood out to me and explore their cultural relevance.

Legion of Honor entrance
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vases

Blue and White Porcelain

Blue and white porcelain or qing hua ci """ is a valuable, coveted type of ceramic ware that is traditionally decorated with blue cobalt pigment on a white porcelain base. It gained popularity around the 14th hundreds and quickly spread to other nations.

Blue and White Porcelain Reimagined

Guo Pei reimagined the blue and white porcelain as dresses, which were revealed in her 1002 Nights collection in 2010.

The dress shown on the right includes a porcelain vase as a headpiece. The vase is inside a crystal-encrusted, fan-shaped pane, whose zigzag pattern is reminiscent of the cracks of broken ice, common in ceramic glazes of the Song dynasty.

Blue and White Porcelain Dress
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Dragon Robe

The dragon robe or long pao """ was worn by the emperors of China. This dragon robe originated from Qianlong Emperor's reign during the Qing Dynasty.

To explore the many intricate details of the dragon robe, hover over the hotspots. To view hot spots, click the "Hot Spots" button. To view the dragon robe in full color, click the "Original" button.

painting

The Qing dynasty was ruled by Manchus which were revered for their horseback riding skills. Thus, their clothing were designed for horseback riding. The horsehoof cuff sleeves as seen here were designed to protect the rider's hands.

The Qing dynasty was ruled by Manchus which were revered for their horseback riding skills. Thus, their clothing were designed for horseback riding. The horsehoof cuff sleeves as seen here were designed to protect the rider's hands.

At the center of the dragon robe is a five-clawed dragon which was exclusive to the emperor and a few of his immediate family. During imperial China, dragons were a symbol of the emperor and they represent benevolence, fertility, strength, protection, happiness and goodness.

Dragon robes also include many Buddhist symbols and auspicious sayings. For example, here we see bats, which sounds like the word happiness in Chinese.

Dragon Robe Reimagined

Guo Pei reimagined the dragon robe by blending Chinese imperial fashion with European fashion to create a sleek tailored overcoat decorated in elements that could be found on a dragon robe such as dragons, waves, and clouds.

Dragon Robe Reimagined

Other Notable Pieces

Every piece was mesmerizing, but here are a some of my favorite pieces that I didn't get to mention previously. To learn more about Guo Pei and her stunning creations, please refer to guopei.com.

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