A delicately designed Chinese gown will be displayed at Britain's renowned Victoria & Albert Museum. The designer of the gown, Laurence Xu, is one of China's top trendsetters in the fashion industry. The museum is thrilled about acquiring Xu's creation, describing him and his work as, "a combination of tradition and innovation; a persistence of keeping the world cultural heritage and a classic example of the top contemporary fashion design." The gown, titled "the auspicious cloud of the oriental," is Xu's most famous piece thus far.
The gown was originally made for Chinese actress Fan Bingbing to wear at the 63rd 2010 Cannes Film Festival. The visual masterpiece gained attention from the global fashion circle and took third place in 2010's Critic's Choice, Best Dressed Of The Year.
After many negotiations, the purchase of a modified gown has been finalized. V&A is one of the world's leading museum of art and design.
Specifically for the year of London's Olympic Games, V&A arranged a year-long exhibition of Xu's gown, as a gesture of respect towards Chinese artists and their works.
Xu studied at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University and later pursued further studies with a French fashion master.
He is scheduled to fly to London today, to bring the gown to the V&A museum himself.
Laurence Xu and his gown