The Forbidden City visits Paris, uniting Heaven and Earth in supreme harmony. Guo Pei brought her own version of the Oriental Palace to the French capital to showcase her latest haute couture collection.
The source of inspiration is the ancient romantic mythology and folklore of the East, where the couturier uses traditional Chinese craftsmanship and modern technical innovations. It expresses Eastern culture through Western textiles, mosaics and prints, as well as colourful, lacquered, metalled leather.
Some elements show the art of inlay with mother of pearl, brought to China from Japan during the Tang dynasty (VII-X centuries). Production includes grinding nacre on sheets with a thickness of 0.1-0.2 mm and then weaving it into silk. The whole process requires unbelievable attention to detail, resulting in magnificent works that surpass the wealth of the Eastern Palace.
Would it be fair to say that Guo Pei surprised with her latest collection? No; however, it would be absolutely correct to say that she conveyed and translated her idea to the finest detail. In the end, we were all in the Chinese Palace at Palais de Tokyo in the French capital. Global enough, if you ask me.