East-west chicLife Style - China Daily Asia
East-west chic
By Chen Jie
Design by John Galliano for Dior in 1997. (Photo provided to China Daily)
Evening dress by Roberto Cavalli in fall of 2005. (Photo povided to China Daily)
Ever since the silk trade between China and the Roman Empire blossomed in the late first and early second centuries, China has been a rich source of inspiration for the West. This year, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York will present an exhibition called China: Through the Looking Glass, to explore how China has fueled Western fashion's imagination for centuries, resulting in highly creative adaptations of cultural realities and mythologies.
Presented at the Museum's Chinese Galleries and the Anna Wintour Costume Center from May 7 to Aug 16, the show will feature more than 130 examples of haute couture and ready-to-wear alongside masterpieces of Chinese costumes, paintings, porcelains, and other art, as well as film clips.
In early January, a few of the exhibition pieces were brought for display at The Palace Museum in Beijing by the masterminds behind the show, including Thomas P. Campbell, CEO and director of the M Andrew Bolton, curat Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of the US edition of V and Hong Kong film director Wong Kar Wai, who will serve as the artistic director of the exhibition.
There are an Yves Saint Laurent gown (by Tom Ford, 2004) inspired by the dragon robe worn by Pu Yi (), the last Chinese emperor, for his investiture in 1908; a blue-and-white Chanel beaded gown by Karl Lagerfeld (1984); and a Roberto Cavalli gown (2005) with patterns reflecting Chinese export porcelains.
"A lot of Western designers are influenced, intrigued and inspired by Chinese culture and images of China. From the exhibition, you can see how designers celebrate the rich history of Chinese culture and arts," Wintour tells China Daily in Beijing.
"For people of all ages, young, middle-aged and old, it is equally fascinating. Fashion really does reflect a moment, reflect history, a certain atmosphere, a fantasy, and touches every one," she adds.
The exhibition focuses on the period from the last decades of the 17th century, when the influence of Chinese-themed imagery or "Chinoiserie" was at its height, to the present, as China continues to enchant and enthrall the most creative minds in fashion.
"Iconic Chinese objects will be presented in direct juxtaposition with iconic Western fashions that draw upon Chinese aesthetic traditions," says Bolton, the curator.
He explains that the exhibition is divided into two series. The first, "From Emperor to Citizen", is taken from the autobiography of Emperor Pu Yi. This series will span three periods of Chinese history: the Qing dynasty (), the Republic of China () and New China.
"Usually, when designers are inspired by China's long and rich history, they invariably gravitate toward these three epochs. In particular, they're drawn to the dominant fashions that prevailed during these times: the changshan, the qipao and the zhongshan suit (tunic suit). For designers, they serve as a kind of sartorial shorthand for China and the shifting social and political identities of its people.
"These three types of garments, in turn, tell the story of the gradual introduction of Western tailoring techniques within Chinese dressmaking traditions," says Bolton.
Quiproquo cocktail dress designed by Christian Dior for House of Dior in 1951.
The second theme is "Empire of Signs", taken from Roland Barthes' seminal book on semiotics. Like Barthes' meditations, this part will revolve around various enigmatic signifiers that have long engaged the Western imagination such as jade, lacquer and, in particular, porcelain.
Designers featured in the exhibition will include most of fashion's biggest luminaries: Giorgio Armani, Cristobal Balenciaga, Roberto Cavalli, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Tom Ford, John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier, Valentino Garavani, Marc Jacobs, Mary Katrantzou, Karl Lagerfeld, Jeanne Lanvin, Ralph Lauren, Martin Margiela, Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, Paul Smith, Anna Sui, Vivienne Tam, Vivienne Westwood and Jason Wu.
There are also three Chinese designers: Ma Ke, Guo Pei and Laurence Xu.
"Laurence Xu is influenced by Tom Ford's dragon-robe dress, Tom Ford is influenced by Saint Laurent and Saint Laurent is inspired by something from Shanghai. That's how the East and West influence each other," Bolton says.
Ma Ke's fame has grown ever since she dressed first lady Peng Liyuan. "Ma Ke is very unique, singular, and sensitive," Bolton observes. "She is very early in terms of the engagement with recycled materials and the first Chinese designer accepted by Paris haute couture. She is deeply philosophical. She approaches her work from the Taoist and Buddhist perspective. Her design is very conceptual."
 Wong Kar Wai, celebrated filmmaker, will serve as artistic director of the exhibiton.
Often, film is the first lens through which Western designers encounter Chinese history, so the curator chooses film as the medium to explore the impact of movies in shaping Western perceptions of China's customs and traditions.
"Hovering between fact and fiction, reality and fantasy, Hollywood films such as Bertolucci's The Last Emperor may refer to actual events in Chinese history, but they cross the line into pure make-believe. The result, like the fashions they have inspired, is a 'virtual' China that conflates anachronistic allusions to disparate times and places.
"Contemporary Chinese filmmakers also have served as rich sources of inspiration for Western designers, most notably Chen Kaige's Farewell My Concubine, Zhang Yimou's Raise The Red Lantern, and Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," Bolton says.
He believes the film that has had the greatest influence on designers is Wong Kar Wai's In The Mood For Love, which features an array of exquisite qipao, including versions with Matisse-like watery floral patterns in muted tones.
That's why he invited Wong to be the artistic director of the exhibition.
"Wong has got an extraordinary eye. Even audiences who have no connection with China can still love Wong's movie," says Bolton.
Wong says he is glad that Chinese movies could inspire many talented Western designers. He explains that the translation of the title, China: Through the Looking Glass, is four Chinese characters, meaning "mirror, flower, water and moon", which reflects Chinese literature and aesthetics as well as fantasy, romance and charm.
"A man looking at himself in the mirror can only see himself. When the mirror becomes a window, he can see the outside world. I hope the exhibition is a window, through which visitors can appreciate Chinese culture and aesthetics up close," he says.
Contact the writer at
Latest News}