China’s renowned couturier Guo Pei has a cosmetics fridge, a collection of kaleidoscopes and a studio full of dolls

China’s renowned couturier Guo Pei has a cosmetics fridge, a collection of kaleidoscopes and a studio full of dolls

My personal style signifier is a Chinese-style gold bangle given to me by my brother, who bought it at LaoPu Gold, in Beijing. It is tradition in China to wear one bangle – normally it would be jade but I wear a gold one, as did my mother and grandmother before me. I love gold as a medium, using gold thread in my designs and wearing a lot of gold jewellery. I can feel the power and energy emanating from it.

Guo Pei’s style signifier: a traditional Chinese gold bangle © Gilles Sabrié

The last thing I bought and loved was a 400-year-old geisha doll. I began collecting antique Japanese geisha dolls wearing beautiful kimonos because I am fascinated by the fabrics and embroidered detail. I’ve collected between 40 and 50 dolls so far, with many more than 200 years old. They were originally made by Japanese artists for, I believe, their royal family.

And on my wishlist is a beautiful French silk dress from the 17th century that is currently owned by a Swiss collector. It has an extraordinary black sheen obtained by employing an ancient technique that used ivory powder to give it a particular lustre. Since seeing it I’ve been dying to own it, but regrettably it is not for sale.

A 200-year-old piece from Pei’s collection of antique geisha dolls © Gilles Sabrié

An unforgettable place I’ve travelled to in the past year is Kyoto, which is where – on an earlier visit – I began my doll collection. I love the city for its handcrafts and fabrics. I even came across a textile made of wood, which is processed from the bark of a sakura cherry tree – I will use it in my next collection. We always stay at the Yoshikawa Ryokan, which was a private residence owned by Ema Tenko, a master of Chinese poetry, before being transformed into an eight-room hotel. It feels as though you are staying in a private house. From ¥30,000 (about £220) per person per night, kyoto-yoshikawa.co.jp

The best souvenir I’ve brought home is an obi belt, because I was drawn to its intricate use of colour. The obi was one of the inspirations for my Himalaya haute-couture collection, which featured precious gold brocade from China and antique Japanese obi fabric. I like to use textiles that are as ancient as possible to give a sense of permanence to the collections.

Sakura flowering in Kyoto, where Pei found a textile processed from the tree’s bark © Getty Images

The best book I’ve read in the past year is a famous Chinese book about life and health called Huangdi Neijing, which translates as The Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor, an ancient medical text. It is a bit philosophical but it’s very important for me to understand the inner, spiritual person.

The beauty staple I’m never without is Penhaligon’s Peoneve eau de parfum. The peony is an important flower in China and the fragrance is unusual and not too sweet. £144 for 100ml EDP

“I get lost in their world of pattern and colour”: the designer’s kaleidoscope collection © Gilles Sabrié

Pei’s favourite recent read: The Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor

A recent memorable meal was at Xin Rong Ji in Shanghai, a Michelin-starred restaurant that specialises in cuisine from Taizhou, which is known for its seafood. My favourite dish is tofu fish, which is a type of small fish and not tofu at all. It is served poached and deliciously tender. xinrongji.cc

My style icon is Carmen Dell’ Orefice, because she has a beautiful big heart and a steely inner strength. She modelled for me a few seasons ago and is now 89, but she has not been diminished by time, which I think makes her even more elegant.

Carmen Dell’Orefice at Pei’s spring/summer show, Paris Fashion Week 2017 © Getty Images

The best gift I’ve given recently is a robe that I designed and sewed myself for a close friend’s baby son. In China we traditionally celebrate when a baby is 100 days old, and I wanted to give him my blessings with something I had made specially for him.

And the best gift I’ve received recently is a necklace that once belonged to Coco Chanel. It was given to me last autumn by my New York model-agent Patty Sicular – I believe she received it from a model who was given it by Mlle Chanel. As a Chinese couturier, it is a wonderful connection back to a great Parisian haute couturier.

Pei’s necklace that was once owned by Coco Chanel © Gilles Sabrié

I have a collection of kaleidoscopes made with glass, metal pieces and coloured scraps of paper. I get lost in their world of pattern and colour. Some are lavishly decorated and others are very refined. The collection includes ’scopes that artists have made exclusively for me, including one by Caomin Xie. I once visited the Kaatskill Kaleidoscope – the world’s largest kaleidoscope – at Mount Tremper, New York, and added to my collection while I was there. xiecaomin.com

If I didn’t live in Beijing, the city I would live in is Bordeaux, where we spent several weeks this year because we couldn’t get home. My husband, two daughters and I stayed in a friend’s château and fell in love with the area, visiting the opera, taking tea in the Grand Hotel and foraging around Antiquités Vivian Morier. A home from home was the Quanjude restaurant, which has branches in Beijing and Bordeaux and serves an amazing Peking duck. quanjude-bordeaux.com

The designer at home in Beijing with her poodle, Nuomi (“Sticky Rice”) © Gilles Sabrié

The last music I bought was “Noche de Ronda” from [the compilation] Historia del Bolero en España, which features the 1930s-40s music of Mexican nightclub singer Elvira Rios. I first heard it in a bar on a trip to Mexico City and was captivated.

In my fridge you will find a selection of chocolate and green tea. In fact, we have three fridges, including one for my cosmetics because of Beijing’s humidity, and another filled with Milazzo, our favourite Sicilian wine.

A few of Pei’s Moleskine sketchbooks and one of her Faber-Castell pencils © Gilles Sabrié

The last item of clothing I added to my wardrobe was a traditional Chinese embroidered yoke that you drape around the shoulders, over a black sweater or an evening dress. I wanted to make myself something that is symbolic of my culture but not necessarily a traditional Chinese look.

The one artist whose work I would collect if I could is Salvador Dalí. I have a fashion sketch by him that is the back view of a design he did for Elsa Schiaparelli, and I would like to add to that.

A recent find is Caviar Kaspia in Paris, because I adore the delicious combination of potatoes and caviar and enjoy the typically fashionable Parisian atmosphere. caviarkaspia.com

The stairway of Pei’s Beijing home © Gilles Sabrié

Rihanna arriving at the 2015 Met Gala in a Pei dress © Getty Images

The objects I will never part with are my Moleskine sketchbooks and Faber-Castell pencils. My third-floor studio, where I retreat to design the couture collections, is full of them – it’s a bit messy, but full of stories, as well as my collections of teddy bears, dolls and books.

I can’t do without time – I love to spend hours working with my clients on designs and intricate embroideries. I could never do ready-to-wear.

Pei’s collection of teddy bears © Gilles Sabrié

If I had to limit my shopping to one neighbourhood in one city, I’d choose the streets around Qianmen Avenue in the Dashilan district of Beijing. It is possibly the oldest shopping street in the hutongs, dating back to the 13th-century Yuan dynasty, selling everything from silks to shoes. Liulichang is another favourite street, where antique dealers sell gorgeous silk jacquards, artefacts and jewellery that inspire my work.

If I weren’t doing what I do, I would be an architect or interior designer, because I love the way an environment and its ambience affects the person within it.

Jill Biden and Kamala Harris Dressed Regally at the Inauguration. And Bernie Sanders’ Mittens Rocked.

Inauguration Day dawned with Melania Trump striding onto Air Force One, departing D.C. in the most expensive Jackie Kennedy Halloween costume ever put together (Chanel jacket, Dolce & Gabbana dress, Louboutins, huge sunglasses).

Then, Jill Biden and Kamala Harris emerged for a pre-inaugural church service wearing clothes that were fresher. You might consider it a reset from the exaggerated Trump look.

Biden wore an ocean blue wool tweed coat and dress by Alexandra O’Neill’s New York-based label, Markarian. A representative wrote in a statement to The Daily Beast that the outfit was custom.

“Dr. Biden’s team approached us and a few other designers in December to see sketches,” the representative said. “We had about a month to get everything together and submit a final look. We did not know that she was wearing it until she walked out today! We drew inspiration from her classically feminine style and had a great collaborative dialogue from which the look evolved.”

As a sign of the times, O’Neill also made a matching face mask for the ensemble. The coat had velvet on its collar and cuffs, and the dress has a chiffon bodice and scalloped skirt. It was hand-embroidered with Swarovski pearls and crystals by the Markarian team.

“The color blue was chosen for the pieces to signify trust, confidence, and stability,” a press release read.

While Melania Trump went out in a blaze of expensive European designers, Biden’s decision to elevate lesser-known names must be intentional. New York’s fashion community was ravaged by the coronavirus, and some brands shuttered completely due to the economic fallout.

It recalls Michelle Obama’s decision to wear Isabel Toledo and then-unknown Jason Wu for her husband’s first inauguration in 2008. It appears that diplomatic, purposeful fashion is back with the Bidens.

On Inauguration Eve, Dr. Jill Biden wore a look by Jonathan Cohen, another New York studio. It was a feat of color coordination—a purple coat with a velvet sash around the waist, periwinkle leather gloves, and a patterned face mask Cohen made with recycled fabrics from past collections. Cohen’s website sells all three pieces on its website. The “Unity” coat and frock cost $3,895 and $2,295, respectively.

A representative for Cohen declined The Daily Beast’s request for comment, but the brand’s Instagram acknowledged the significance of the moment.

“Waking up with immense pride and gratitude. Here’s to a new day,” read a caption underneath a photo of the Bidens at Tuesday night’s coronavirus memorial.

Speaking of purple, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris wore her own big violet coat to the swearing-in ceremony. CNN’s Abby Phillip noted that it was a nod to Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman in America to run for president.

It came courtesy of Christopher John Rogers, who works in Brooklyn but grew up in Baton Rouge. He won the $400,000 CFDA/Vogue fashion fund award in 2019. Representatives for Rogers did not respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment.

Harris showed up to the pre-inauguration coronavirus memorial in a camel coat by Kerby Jean-Raymond of Pyer Moss, which featured very smart, wave-shaped tailoring on the back. Jean-Raymond was a strong champion of the New York design community during the early days of the pandemic, converting his studio into a donation center for PPE. He had also donated $5,000 of supplies to the frontlines and gave $50,000 to minority and female-owned businesses affected by the disaster.

In a statement, Jean-Raymond said, “Kamala’s stylist reached out the day after she was announced as Joe Biden’s running mate. We talked about several projects but always intended to be part of the inauguration. We made several options including dresses and accessories for Kamala and ultimately she chose this jacket which the stylist said is ‘the cat’s meow.’

“I’ve been working with the costume designer and couturier Camilla Huey for a few years now. She’s been a constant in my life and part of my growth as a designer. She’s taught me how to achieve more difficult executions that I didn’t know how to do before. She was a part of creating my Sculpture for the MoMA and several of the Met Gala looks I created in 2019, some of which remain unseen publicly. We began working on a fairly ordinary jacket but we got approval to make some changes this week to incorporate some of our brand identity on the piece. The knife pleat is one of our favorite mainstays in our collections.”

Both Joe Biden and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff wore navy suits by Ralph Lauren. Bloomberg’s Kim Bhasin reported that Biden is the first president to choose the all-American designer, though he has dressed first ladies many times. Melania Trump wore a robin’s egg blue Ralph Lauren suit to Trump’s 2017 inauguration, and Hillary Clinton often picked him for the campaign trail.

Michelle Obama wore a plum alpaca sweater and pants with a cashmere coat by Sergio Hudson. Her unabashedly look quickly went viral. And how could it not? That hair! The belt! Why pay attention to anything else?

Bernie Sanders’ ultra-comfy mittens look—truly fit for a day spent shopping at a Vermont L.L. Bean outlet—also drew the attention of the internet. Not as significant as the Biden or Harris fashion, of course, but truly a bright moment in a day filled with Trump pettiness and security anxieties.

Perhaps the most literal style statement of the day: Elizabeth Warren’s pink Planned Parenthood-branded scarf. No need to ask where she aligns; she wore it around her neck.

Ella Emhoff, Harris’ stepdaughter and Parsons fashion design student, showed up in a very Brooklyn-goes-to-D.C. look. Her brown plaid coat, with amber embellishments, was a surprisingly delightful moment of the day.

Ultimately, the clothes told the story like they tend to do. More than tell, they screamed: The Trump era is over. Jill Biden and Kamala Harris showed up wearing their morals—and pointedly proving that can be stylish, too.

Chanel: Iconic couturier Karl Lagerfeld has died

PARIS (AP) — Chanel’s iconic couturier, Karl Lagerfeld, whose accomplished designs as well as trademark white ponytail, high starched collars and dark enigmatic glasses dominated high fashion for the past 50 years, has died. He was around 85 years old.

Such was the enigma surrounding the German-born designer that even his age was a point of mystery for decades, with reports he had two birth certificates, one dated 1933 and the other 1938. In 2013, Lagerfeld told French magazine “Paris Match” he was born in 1935, but in 2019 his assistant still didn’t know the truth — telling AP he liked “to scramble the tracks on his year of birth — that’s part of the character.”

Chanel confirmed that Lagerfeld died early Tuesday.

Lagerfeld was of the most hardworking figures in the fashion world holding down the top design jobs at LVMH-owned luxury label Fendi from 1977, and Paris' family-owned power-house Chanel in 1983. Indeed, his indefatigable energy was notable: he lost around 90 pounds in his late 60s to fit into the latest slimline fashions.

Though he spent virtually his entire career at luxury labels catering to the very wealthy — including all of 20 years at Chloe — Lagerfeld’s designs quickly trickled down to low-end retailers, giving him an almost unprecedented impact on the entire fashion industry.

At Chanel, he served up youthful designs that were always of the moment and sent out almost infinite variations on the house’s classic skirt suit, ratcheting up the hemlines or smothering it in golden chains, stings of pearls or pricey accessories. They were always delivered with wit.

“Each season, they tell me (the Chanel designs) look younger. One day we’ll all turn up like babies,” he once told The Associated Press.

His outspoken and often stinging remarks on things as diverse as French politics and celebrity waistlines won him the nickname “Kaiser Karl” in the fashion media. Among the most acid comments included calling President Francois Hollande an “imbecile” who would be “disastrous” for France in Marie-Claire, and telling UK’s The Sun that he didn’t like the face of Pippa Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge’s sister.

“She should only show her back,” he advised.

Lagerfeld was also heavily criticized for sending out a negative message to women when he told France’s Metro newspaper that signer Adele was “a little too fat.”

Despite this, he did have an under-reported soft side. He was known to be very kind to his staff at Chanel and was famous for according journalists generously long interviews after each fashion show. He also shared his unmarried life in his Parisian mansion with a Siamese cat called Choupette.

“She is spoilt, much more than a child could be,” he told AP in 2013, revealing also that he would take her to the vet every 10 days overcautiously.

Lagerfeld had little use for nostalgia and kept his gaze riveted toward the future. Well into his 70s, he was quick to embrace new technology: He famously had a collection of hundreds of iPods.

A photographer who shot ad campaigns for Chanel and his own eponymous label, Lagerfeld also collected art books and had a massive library and a bookstore as well as his own publishing house. He was also an impressive linguist switching between perfect French, English, Italian and his native German during interviews at post-catwalk celebrity media scrums.

Although he spent much of his life in the public eye, Lagerfeld remained a largely elusive figure. Even as he courted the spotlight, he made an apparently deliberate effort to hide what was going on behind his trademark dark shades.

“I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that,” British Vogue quoted Lagerfeld as saying. “It is like a mask. And for me the Carnival of Venice lasts all year long.”

After cutting his teeth at Paris-based label Chloe, Lagerfeld consolidated his reputation in the 1980s when he revived the flagging fortunes of the storied Paris haute couture label Chanel. There, he helped launch the careers of supermodels including Claudia Schiffer, Ines de la Fressange and Stella Tennant.

In a move that helped make his a household name, Lagerfeld designed a capsule collection for Swedish fast-fashion company H&M in 2004 and released a CD of his favorite music shortly after.

A weight-loss book he published in 2005 — “The Karl Lagerfeld Diet” — consolidated his status as a pop culture icon. In the book, Lagerfeld, said that it was his desire to fit into the slim-cut suits by then-Dior Homme designer Hedi Slimane that had motivated his dramatic transformation.

The son of an industrialist who made a fortune in condensed milk and his violinist wife, Lagerfeld was born into an affluent family in Hamburg, Germany.

Lagerfeld had artistic ambitions early on. In interviews, he variously said he wanted to become a cartoonist, a portraitist, an illustrator or a musician.

“My mother tried to instruct me on the piano. One day, she slammed the piano cover closed on my fingers and said, ‘draw, it makes less noise,” he was quoted as saying in the book “The World According to Karl.”

At age 14, Lagerfeld came to Paris with his parents and went to school in the City of Light. His fashion career got off to a precocious start when, in 1954, a coat he designed won a contest by the International Wool Secretariat. His rival, Yves Saint Laurent, won that year’s contest in the dress category.

Lagerfeld apprenticed at Balmain and in 1959 was hired at another Paris-based house, Patou, where he spent four years as artistic director. After a series of freelance jobs with labels including Rome-based Fendi, Lagerfeld took over the reins at Chloe, known for its romantic Parisian style.

Lagerfeld also started his own label, Karl Lagerfeld, which though less commercially successful than his other ventures, was widely seen as a sort of sketchpad where the designer worked through his audacious ideas.

In 1982, he took over at over Chanel, which had been dormant since the death of its founder, Coco Chanel, more than a decade earlier.

“When I took on Chanel, it was a sleeping beauty — not even a beautiful one,” he said in the 2007 documentary “Lagerfeld Confidential.” ‘‘She snored."

For his debut collection for the house, Lagerfeld injected a dose of raciness, sending out a translucent navy chiffon number that prompted scandalized headlines.

He never ceased to shake up the storied house, sending out a logo-emblazoned bikini so small the top looked like pasties on a string and another collection that dispensed entirely with bottoms, with the models wearing little jackets over opaque tights instead.

Lagerfeld was open about his homosexuality — he once said he announced it to his parents at age 13 — but kept his private life under wraps. Following his widely known relationship with a French aristocrat who died of AIDS in 1989, Lagerfeld insisted he prized his solitude above all.

“I hate when people say I’m ‘solitaire’ (or solitary.) Yes, I’m solitaire in the sense of a stone from Cartier, a big solitaire,” Lagerfeld told The New York Times in an interview. “I have to be alone to do what I do. I like to be alone. I’m happy to be with people, but I’m sorry to say I like to be alone, because there’s so much to do, to read, to think.”

As much as he loved the spotlight, Lagerfeld was careful to obscure his real self.

“It’s not that I lie, it’s that I don’t owe the truth to anyone,” he told French Vogue in an interview.

Former AP fashion writer Jenny Barchfield provided biographical material for this story.