Guo Pei on why haute couture is made to be collected, not just worn

As luxury growth slows and consumers become more discerning about what they buy, brands face a hard question: Why should anyone still pay a premium? Luxury brands have answered with appeals to craftsmanship and quality, emotional connection, exclusive experiences and cultural identity. Chinese haute couture designer Guo Pei (郭培) has noticed a different shift in how consumers think about luxury. “In the past, people might have wondered how many times they could wear such an expensive gown. Now, I often hear people say they hope to own one of my creations in their lifetime,” Guo told Jing Daily in an exclusive interview. For these clients, haute couture is no longer simply about dressing for an occasion. It is an expression of their appreciation for artistry and craftsmanship, and for something less tangible: the emotional and spiritual value of a creation. They want a piece worth collecting and perhaps passing down. That shift away from practical value toward emotional value raises a larger question for the luxury industry: As consumers grow more rational about spending, what makes a luxury brand worth its price? Few Chinese designers have built a career like Guo’s. In 2015, Rihanna wore Guo’s sweeping golden-yellow “Yellow Queen” gown to the Met Gala, bringing the designer international attention. In January 2016, Guo became the first China-based designer to show on the official Paris Haute Couture Week calendar as a guest member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. That April, Time magazine named her one of its 100 most influential people. Drawing on traditional Chinese embroidery and sculptural, architectural silhouettes, Guo developed a distinctive design language that helped bring Chinese haute couture to a global audience. Her work returned to the international spotlight in September. On September 24, Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, wore a blue dress and cropped jacket by Guo to the White House welcome ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (习近平) state visit. Three days later, on September 27, the China National Silk Museum in Hangzhou opened “Guo Pei: A Garden of Enchantment” (灵境花园), a retrospective of about 200 pieces drawn from four decades of her work. It runs until August 31, 2027. It is Guo’s first major solo exhibition in mainland China. Her work had previously been exhibited at museums in the United States, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, among other places, and at M+ in Hong Kong, which in 2024 hosted her first museum exhibition in China. After more than a decade of international exhibitions, she chose to bring her largest show to date home. “Regardless of language, culture, age or background, people can find an emotional connection with my work,” Guo said. The responses she has received from audiences around the world have reinforced her belief that art can cross cultural boundaries. Why Hangzhou? For Guo, the answer is the China National Silk Museum itself. As a member of China’s first generation of contemporary fashion designers, she feels a particular connection to the institution. To her, silk is a symbol of thousands of years of Chinese civilization and a cultural language she has long sought to share with the world through haute couture. She hopes visitors will look beyond the practical function of clothing to the artistry and emotion in each piece. On October 16, Guo was named to the Legends category of the inaugural Jing Daily 100 list at a ceremony in Shanghai. Speaking to Jing Daily that day, she reflected on four decades of work. Rather than dwell on success or recognition, she returned repeatedly to three ideas: dedication, conviction and perseverance. For Guo, the value that cannot be replicated, whether in artistic creation or in building a luxury brand, is something only time can produce. Guo spoke about the design behind Ivanka Trump’s outfit, the impact of AI on fashion, the meeting of Eastern and Western cultures in haute couture, and what Chinese brands need to build lasting international competitiveness. Jing Daily: Ivanka Trump wore one of your designs to the White House this year, bringing your work into the spotlight unexpectedly. Could you share the story behind the design? Guo Pei: When we discussed the color, I wanted something soft and calming, a shade that conveyed peace and goodwill. To me, blue best captured that sense of serenity and ease. Ivanka agreed. She said the color reminded her of the American bluebird. I wanted the design to reflect her confidence, independence and positive spirit. I chose a two-piece silhouette, pairing a cropped jacket with elongated sleeves for a clean, sharp look. I also gave the sleeves wide openings. In traditional Chinese dress, people often kept precious belongings inside their sleeves. To me, an open cuff symbolizes generosity, inclusiveness and acceptance. Underneath was a fitted dress, with four carefully placed lines intended to express Ivanka’s intelligence, confidence and strength as an independent woman. Because I didn’t know exactly where she would wear it, I settled on a length somewhere between formal daywear and an evening gown, appropriate for both daytime engagements and evening social occasions. The embroidery was equally deliberate. I chose scrolling vine motifs rather than large flowers. These ancient patterns appeared in Dunhuang [敦煌, an oasis city on the ancient Silk Road known for its Buddhist cave murals] more than a thousand years ago and can also be found in architecture and decorative arts across Europe and Africa. They reflect centuries of exchange between East and West, a reminder that civilizations have always influenced one another rather than existed in isolation. For the embroidery, I avoided bright, conspicuous gold in favor of finer, more understated silver threads. The result felt appropriate to Ivanka’s role and the occasion while preserving the distinctly Chinese embroidery techniques that have become a signature of my work. JD: As artificial intelligence plays a bigger role in fashion, how do you think it will reshape design? Do you worry that AI could one day replace designers? GP: AI is essentially an accumulation of human experience. Everything it knows comes from what humanity has learned and created in the past. It can dramatically shorten the learning process. Knowledge that once took a decade to acquire might now be accessible almost instantly, accelerating progress across the industry. But AI can never replace our most precious qualities: imagination and creativity. AI learns from the past. True creativity looks toward the future. I see design as having two distinct dimensions. One is product design, which serves everyday life. Ready-to-wear, for example, must respond to people’s needs, the occasions they dress for and the practical functions clothing serves. This kind of design relies heavily on experience, knowledge and an understanding of consumers. Here, AI can be an incredibly useful tool. The other dimension is art. Art isn’t simply about meeting practical needs. It moves people, stirs emotion and imagination, and inspires creativity. It allows us to feel love, hope and a sense of the future. It speaks to something deeper in the human spirit. That’s why I’m not worried about AI replacing designers. It can make us more efficient, but it cannot replicate human creativity, much less the spiritual power of art. JD: Traditional Chinese culture and East Asian aesthetics have long shaped your work. But as more international brands and Chinese designers draw on these influences, do you worry that these aesthetics are becoming overly commercialized, reduced to little more than a trend? What, in your view, gives Chinese design lasting relevance? GP: I am Chinese. Chinese culture and my connection to this country run through me like blood. They have always been part of who I am and how I create. So whether my inspiration comes from East or West, it ultimately finds expression through my own creative language. That’s why I don’t believe cultural fusion needs to be forced. The more deliberately you try to piece together elements from different cultures, the more disconnected the result can feel. Cultures naturally attract and inspire one another. More than a thousand years ago, Dunhuang was already a meeting point of Eastern and Western civilizations. Think of the Chinese philosophy of taiji (太极), in which yin and yang depend on and give rise to one another. Culture works in much the same way. It gains new life through continuous exchange. JD: What barriers must Chinese designers overcome to build luxury brands with lasting international competitiveness? GP: Luxury takes time. There’s an old Chinese saying: ‘It takes three generations to cultivate an aristocrat.’ But aristocracy, in this sense, isn’t about wealth, power or status. It’s about the accumulation of culture and spirit. I believe true luxury brands are built in much the same way. The first generation establishes the foundation, the second preserves and strengthens it, and only by the third does the brand truly come into its own. Today, too many Chinese brands are in a hurry. They want success overnight. They want to become the next Chanel. But even if you copy Chanel’s designs, or change just one letter of its name, you cannot replicate the spirit of a brand shaped over generations. True luxury demands following your own path rather than chasing short-term success. What Chinese brands need most, I believe, is patience. The pursuit of instant success breeds restlessness and superficiality. Real luxury is built slowly, through years of dedication and creativity, until it develops a value that cannot be replaced. This interview was conducted in Mandarin and has been translated and edited for length and clarity.

Guo Pei on why haute couture is made to be collected, not just worn

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Guo Pei on why haute couture is made to be collected, not just worn

TUMI’s new growth playbook: From travel expertise to lifestyle performance