4 THE VOICE THURSDAY, OCT. 18, 2018 EDITOR DESIREE GARCIA News&Features Infamous 22 kilogram yellow dress worn by Rihanna at the 2015 Met Gala in New York. NATHAN GAN PHOTO Guo Pei looks up at one of her designs at a media preview for the new exhibit on Oct. 11. NATHAN GAN PHOTO Left to right: dresses designed and displayed as part of the Guo Pei: Beyond couture fas Spotlight on fé High end fashion showcased for | he Vancouver Art Gallery is focusing on the art of fash- ion with a show headlined by famous Chinese dress maker Guo Pei. The VAG is the first ever Canadian gallery to feature Guo’s work. ‘The ex- hibit showcases over 40 pieces of Guo’s standout work and is entitled Beyond Couture. Guo is the designer responsible for the famous trailing yellow gown donned by Rihanna at the 2015 Met Gala in New York City. ‘The gown weighs an astonishing 22 kilograms and took 2 % year to create. Guo appeared on Time magazine's 100 most influential people and she is also one of just two Asian design- ers accepted into Paris’s elite Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Coutre as a guest member. Because Guo grew up in China, her work has always been reminiscent of the country’s Qing Dynasty and strives to touch on lost traditional craft prac- tices. Guo said some of the intricate dresses have taken over 30,000 hours to make. “T create all these pieces with all my heart,” Guo said through a Mandarin interpreter in an interview during a media preview. “All my work is a way for me to express my emotions.” Guo draws inspiration from a vari- ety of different origins but has a strong connection with European influences. “I was inspired after visiting the mili-