While Rihanna has served many a sartorial moment throughout her career, there is perhaps none more iconic than the majestic yellow creation she donned for the 2015 Met Gala; a gown that sparked a seismic impact on pop culture in the vein of Angelina Jolie's show-stopping right leg in 2012, or Jennifer Lopez's V-neck Versace in 1999.
Of course, those of us who were on social media back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth will also remember the thousands of memes inspired by the multi-hyphenate's spectacular ensemble - primarily, those that likened its swathes of yellow to one very impressive omelette.
But it wasn't just its rise to the lofty heights of online fame that made the 25kg cape one for the haute couture history books. In all its gilded grandeur, the garment carried a certain majesty, imperial and imposing in equal measure, that made it worthy of royalty - and Queen RiRi certainly fit the bill. It's not just that its fur-trimmed, intricately embroidered silks were reminiscent of royal regalia, or that its duvet-like train took up space in a manner only afforded to those of higher status: it was couture at its most magnificent.
Simply put, the Yellow Queen Gown broke the internet - propelling its designer, the diminutive, Beijing-based couturier Guo Pei, to global recognition.
Born in China's capital in 1967, Guo grew up in a time of austerity. Inspired by her grandmother's stories of silk finery, she studied fashion design before embarking on a career specialising in ready-to-wear clothing, which eventually evolved into internationally renowned couture, sought after by stars and royalty alike.
While her designs had adorned luminaries for years before Rihanna donned the gown for the red carpet launch of the Costume Institute's spring exhibition, China: Through the Looking Glass, in 2015, it was arguably this moment that put Guo on the map: marking her first notable breakthrough into an elitist industry that had long drawn on Chinese design, without ever seeming to openly acknowledge its non-Western influences.
It served as a perfectly analogy for the Met's exhibit, which explored the impact of Chinese aesthetics on Western fashion, and how China has fuelled the fashionable imagination for centuries.
And now, almost a decade on from Guo's resplendent arrival into the international annals of high fashion, that very garment is sitting in Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Aotearoa's largest art institution, for revellers to see.
The Yellow Queen Gown is just one of over 60 pieces from Guo's archives currently on display as part of the international exhibition, Guo Pei: Fashion, Art, Fantasy 郭培: 时装之幻梦, which officially opened to the public on Saturday, December 9.
The exhibition, which is exclusive to Auckland Art Gallery, profiles the Chinese couturier's most innovative work between 2005 and 2020. Drawing on themes of nature, mythology and the cosmos, Guo is known to masterfully weave the modern with the time-honoured and traditional, exploring elements of historic Chinese and European attire through a contemporary lens. Think extraordinary fabrics and textiles, exquisite embroidery, and unconventional dressmaking techniques.
Guo herself was present for the unveiling of the exhibition on Friday evening, with Singapore Airlines, a key sponsor of the event, flying the 56-year-old and her husband to Aotearoa to celebrate her first-ever showcase on New Zealand soil. Standing before some 100 guests, Guo delivered a speech with the help of a translator that conveyed her utmost commitment to the arts, likening fashion to a universal language that unites us all, regardless of country, customs or culture.
Guests were then treated to an exclusive first-look at the exhibition ahead of its public opening on Saturday, taking the crowd on a journey of remarkable artistry and imagination. Across eight different sections, guests are able to get an up-close-and-personal look at the intricacies that make Guo's creations wearable works of art. From delicate embroidery to lavish beadwork, bejewelled applique and architectural structures, complete with gravity-defying footwear and glittering, gilded accessories, the world of Guo Pei is a fantastical feast for the eyes.
The beauty of Guo's work is that it transcends time and space, transporting the viewer to a magical dreamscape of fairy-tale creatures, not out of place on a garden nymph, sprite or fairy princess, or back through the passage of time to the empresses of China's historical dynasties. The collections morph from romantic whimsy to gothic surrealism - with sharper, more rigid silhouettes evocative of evil stepmothers, witches, and iron-fisted queens - to garments inspired by Chinese mythology, female warriors, and spiritual figures with religious references.
Guests are invited to journey between Dream Land, Magic Gardern, Gothic Tales, Legends, Spiritual Encounters, East Meets West and Cosmic Couture before reaching their final destination: Imperial Yellow. What else there is to see is up to you to discover.
"This exhibition celebrates one of the world’s most renowned couturiers. Guo Pei’s extravagant ensembles are works of art, incorporating extraordinary fabrics and exquisite embroidery, and capturing influences from across the world," Tātaki Auckland Unlimited director of Auckland Art Gallery Kirsten Lacy said in a statement.
"Each piece has been created with intricate skill and precision, representing thousands of hours of dedication and remarkable artistry."
Guo Pei: Fashion, Art, Fantasy is organised by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco with support from the Asian Couture Federation. The exhibition is supported by Auckland Art Gallery Foundation, Singapore Airlines, Rolls-Royce, Cordis Hotels, Viva, Omnigraphics, and Asia New Zealand Foundation, and is presented in association with Auckland Arts Festival 2024.
When: Saturday, December 9, 2023 – Sunday, May 5, 2024, 10am–5pm daily (except Christmas Day).
Where: Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, located on the corner of Kitchener and Wellesley Streets in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
Admission: $24.50 for adults, tickets for Gallery Members and children under 12 are free; other ticket types are also available.
