Guo Pei, China’s most illustrious couturier, whose creation became the most expensive dress by a living designer to be ever sold at an auction, speaks to Tatler ahead of the showcase of her collections at M+ in September
Guo Pei is a woman of many superlatives: she is the first and only Chinese designer to become a guest member of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, the official body that recognises haute couturiers. She is known for embroidering her name and completion date on her clothes and prides herself as the only designer in the world who does the latter; clothing, says Guo, is not just a transient fashion item but a living thing that deserves to be given a “date of birth”. And of course, there’s her “Yellow Empress” dress, worn by Rihanna at the 2015 Met Gala, which propelled the couturier to international stardom.
At her atelier, Rose Studio, in her native Beijing, she talks to Tatler about transcending trends, recalls the story behind her most expensive piece, sold in auction in 2019—and reveals why she wears Issey Miyake instead of her own designs.
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Who are you inspired by?
My father is a retired soldier and my mother is an educator [also retired]. My mother received a ton of medals and honours for her performance at work. She has a very serious eye disease and is almost blind, but she persevered, up until the day she retired. I think of her as a strong woman who never let herself be underestimated by others, who would never rest easy without making a contribution, and who couldn’t live an existence without adding value.
Speaking of value, what’s your most expensive piece?
I have a piece [a gold dress modelled after a traditional Chinese wedding dress] that sold at Sotheby’s [in a 2019 auction] for £435,000 (approximately US$520,000). It is the highest price ever paid for a living designer’s work [at auction].
But it’s not a true reflection of the piece’s value. I wanted to let the world know about Chinese bridal dresses and their value and charm. This is why I put a piece that took six and a half years to make up for auction; it’s also the longest time I’d spent on a single piece.
The gold thread that was used to embroider this garment was very expensive. It had to create a three-dimensional look and feel, and also be padded with lambskin. And think about it: the embroidery of the dress alone needs four or five top artisans, and their compensation for six and a half years is a major expenditure.
