Lecture Series | Guo Pei: Fashion & Influence — Lecture #4 Ornament and Opulence: It’s all in the Detail

10.30–11.30am

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Immerse yourself in the exquisite world of haute couture and the creative genius of Guo Pei in this lecture series. Embark on a captivating journey through the world of fashion with four experts as they discuss the intersection of fashion, art and culture, discovering valuable insights into haute couture and the cultural narratives that have shaped Guo Pei’s artistic vision and unique creations.

Tickets are sold to each lecture individually so pick your favourite or come to all.

Lecture #4: Ornament and Opulence: It’s All in the Detail

Angela Lassig, Sat 27 Apr 10.30–11.30am

The strictly defined criteria for members of Paris’s elite Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture (founded 1911) dictates that couture must represent the highest level of creativity. The ornamentation that gives haute couture its opulence, so exceptionally expressed in Guo Pei’s designs, has been carried out by numerous specialist artisanal workshops since the early 20th century. This talk highlights a number of these Paris-based ‘Métiers d’Art’ (art professions) including embroidery workshop Lesage feather and flower maker Lemarie, Lognon, a pleating specialist and Montex masters of beadwork.

Image credits: Guo Pei, Legend of the Dragon, 2012. © Guo Pei. Courtesy of Guo Pei. | Angela Lassig, photo Andrew Langridge, 2022.

Date
Location
Auditorium, Lower Ground
Cost
Members $15, Non-Members $18 (+ fees)
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Angela Lassig is a dress historian who has worked independently as a researcher, lecturer and author since 2010. Following post-graduate Museum Studies at Sydney University in 1983, she spent the next 25 years developing her expertise in dress, textiles and decorative arts in curatorial roles in museums in Sydney (Powerhouse Museum), Auckland (Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira) and Wellington (Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand). Angela has recently been appointed a Research Associate at Auckland Museum, where she is pursuing numerous projects relating to New Zealand dress history.

<p>Lecture #1: Chairman Mao and Chinese Fashion</p> <p>Paul Clark, Tue 5 Mar 6&ndash;7pm</p> <p>Chinese fashion underwent a revolution in the 20th century, from the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911 to the times of Chairman Mao Zedong. From the 1920s to 1940s, clothing styles associated with scholars and Western-style schools became standardised.&nbsp;In cosmopolitan Shanghai, women&rsquo;s clothing took on a stylish new look associated with modernity and glamour, as exemplified by&nbsp;Chinese film stars.&nbsp;Fashion developments did not end after the founding of the People&rsquo;s Republic in 1949. The notion that everyone from 1949 to 1978 was in so-called Mao suits and genderless clothing is a myth; dresses, skirts, and stylish touches remained a way for women to quietly express themselves. When Pierre Cardin arrived in China in 1979, there was much to inspire him.</p> <p><a href="https://www.aucklandartgallery.com/whats-on/event/lecture-series-or-guo-pei-fashion-and-influence-lecture-1-chairman-mao-and-chinese-fashion">LEARN MORE</a></p>

Lecture #1: Chairman Mao and Chinese Fashion

Paul Clark, Tue 5 Mar 6–7pm

Chinese fashion underwent a revolution in the 20th century, from the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911 to the times of Chairman Mao Zedong. From the 1920s to 1940s, clothing styles associated with scholars and Western-style schools became standardised. In cosmopolitan Shanghai, women’s clothing took on a stylish new look associated with modernity and glamour, as exemplified by Chinese film stars. Fashion developments did not end after the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949. The notion that everyone from 1949 to 1978 was in so-called Mao suits and genderless clothing is a myth; dresses, skirts, and stylish touches remained a way for women to quietly express themselves. When Pierre Cardin arrived in China in 1979, there was much to inspire him.

LEARN MORE