Rihanna's Golden Dragon Gown has arrived: Guo Pei's Garden of Ethereal Realms Exhibition Opens at China National Silk Museum
The Garden of Ethereal Realms exhibition has opened in the Fashion Gallery of the China National Silk Museum in Hangzhou, offering a sweeping retrospective of four decades of Guo Pei's haute‑couture vision.
Around 200 garments are displayed across four curatorial sections—“Time, Fable, Rebirth,” “Building Dreams, Legend,” “Dream Isle Garden,” and “Eastern Palace Echoes.” Each zone traces her experiments with garment structure, traditional silk techniques, material language and the dialogue between Eastern heritage and Western modernity.
Signature pieces draw particular attention, notably the gold‑embroidered dragon robe that adorned Rihanna at the 2015 Met Gala, as well as red‑carpet gowns created for Chinese stars Liu Shishi and Dilraba. The show also includes costumes designed for the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony and the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, underscoring Guo Pei’s influence beyond the runway.
Set within a museum devoted to silk and textile culture, the exhibition frames couture as a living extension of centuries‑old craftsmanship, inviting visitors to appreciate the labor, skill and imagination woven into each silken masterpiece.