Guo Pei Tour ...where dreams explode!

My lifelong fascination with Chinese and Japanese design brought to life by a creative genius! Guo Pei also had a dream: to design opulent, beautiful clothing after wearing the Maoist uniform during her childhood in China. She broke out of the commercial garment design world to start her own business and is now world famous.

So glad to have the opportunity to hear details of the shipping, unpacking and challenging setup for this exhibition. We got an idea of the weight of the garments crusted with real pearls, gems, fur and precious metals. The models shown in videos earned my great respect for hauling or wearing 50 - 100 pound garments as well as teetering on high plexiglass shoes. Oh, did I mention balancing a crown as well? Of course these runway garments are not designed to allow much movement-no bending or sitting. They are created for maximum visual impact and drama, each ensemble telling a chapter of the story of each each runway show ...lucky audience to be swept up on Guo Pei’s dreams! We in Vancouver are privileged to see the exquisite pieces in an intimate museum setting, one of two museums in North America so far. The pieces now return to Beijing.

Overcoming the overwhelming urge to touch the garments was the hardest part of this wonderful tour!