Guo Pei: Couture Beyond

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) presents Guo Pei: Couture Beyond, the first US solo museum exhibition of designs by eminent Chinese couturière Guo Pei, September 7, 2017 through March 4, 2018, at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film. 

In her fantastical, unrestrained creations, Guo Pei imbues contemporary high fashion with ancient tradition, invoking history and mythology through intricate craftsmanship and avant-garde silhouettes rife with symbolism. This landmark exhibition features more than 40 of Guo Pei’s most exquisite gowns, accordant footwear and accessories, including the now-iconic imperial yellow cape worn by Rihanna to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala in 2015—a seminal moment that introduced Guo Pei to America’s fashion cognoscenti.

In concert with the exhibition, SCAD is collaborating with alumni to produce a major monograph celebrating Guo Pei’s spectacular oeuvre. The book, the first to focus solely on Guo Pei, will feature captivating new and archival images of the designer’s work and will offer insight into her remarkable career and global significance as an artist. The volume will be published by Skira Rizzoli and is slated for release in December 2017. 

“International superstar fashion artist Guo Pei is in a league of her own, as is SCAD, the preeminent source of knowledge in the disciplines we teach,” said SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. “It is our honor to partner with Guo Pei and with our friends at Rizzoli to publish the first grand compilation of her work as part of the SCAD Museum Book Collection. Readers will become immersed in the ethereal, magical world of Guo Pei and the wonders she creates.”

SCAD commissioned HOWL, a creative collective including three SCAD photography alumni—Jim Lind (BFA, photography, 2010), Patrick O’Brien (BFA, photography, 2010) and Elliot Ross (BFA, photography, 2011)—to capture Guo Pei’s designs, which the team photographed in richly styled vignettes at locations throughout the Lowcountry. Supplemental studio images provide a closer examination of each garment’s ornate artistry and opulent details. A short film chronicling the alumni collaboration and the production of the book is scheduled for release in conjunction with the exhibition. 

A concise, complementary exhibition of Guo Pei’s work will be presented, October 27, 2017 through March 4, 2018, at Pei Ling Chan Gallery, Savannah, Georgia.

Admission is free to all museum members, as well as SCAD students, faculty and staff with a valid SCAD Cad. Open to the public with the cost of museum admission.

About Guo Pei
Guo Pei is the first Chinese national designer invited to join the prestigious Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. For more than 20 years, she has dressed distinguished ladies, royalty, political elite and international influencers. Her show-stopping, magnificent creations make her a modern messenger of her cultural heritage. Guo Pei made her Paris Fashion Week debut in January 2016 to wide critical acclaim. 

Guo Pei has been named one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” and one of The Business of Fashion’s 500 “People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry.” Her work has been covered by major international news and fashion media outlets, including Vogue, Women’s Wear Daily, The Sunday Times, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times, CNN and Forbes.

About SCAD: The University for Creative Careers
The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution conferring bachelor’s and master’s degrees at distinctive locations and online to prepare talented students for professional careers. SCAD offers degrees in more than 40 majors. Visit scad.edu.