Guo Pei, dress from the An Amazing Journey in a Childhood Dream collection, 2008. The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) will present the first U.S. solo museum exhibition of designs by eminent Chinese couturière Guo Pei, Sept. 7, 2017–March 4, 2018, at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion-+-Film in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) will present the first U.S. solo museum exhibition of designs by eminent Chinese couturière Guo Pei, Sept. 7, 2017–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 will feature more than 30 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 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 (B.F.A., photography, 2010), Patrick O’Brien (B.F.A., photography, 2010) and Elliot Ross (B.F.A., 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’s opening.
A concise, complementary exhibition of Guo Pei’s work will open in October 2017, at Pei Ling Chan Gallery, Savannah, Georgia.
