Guo Pei, Creator of Rihanna's Gold Met Gala Gown, on Finding Inspiration

"Clothing happens to be architecture of the body," Guo Pei's quote reads on a wall of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, where 80 of her dresses are on display until November. The "Guo Pei: Couture Fantasy" exhibition unfolds like poetry; just a quick walkthrough will grip viewers with her level of artistry. To describe Pei simply as a fashion designer falls short of capturing the grandeur and technical prowess of her work. Borrowing freely from a multiplicity of sources - be it China's imper...