CaliforniaApparelNews.net

Hong Kong has never been known to be a city shy of fashion designers who put their stamp on world culture.

So, when Hong Kong Fashion Week kicked off Jan. 18, there was a burst of creativity on the runway. Taking center court was Chinese designer Guo Pei, who shunned the practical and set her sights on displaying her artistic ability. She has been designing for 24 years and was most recently known for her contribution to the Beijing Summer Olympics, where she designed the outfit worn by actress Zhang Zi-yi at the Olympic flame ceremony.

Pei's collection was a study in the extravagant. She fashioned wooden shoes with 12-inch soles that were then painted to match the outfits that came floating down the runway. Nothing was practical. It looked like "Alice in Wonderland" on steroids. Everything was pumped up in size. Large folds of fabric made a green dress look like a paper muffin holder. Bursts of oversized  jewel-like creations covered a dress like barnacles. 

Most extrravagant was a blue-and-white dress that was formed in folds of delicate silk fabric. Topping it was a Spanish-like fan headdress with tassles dangling to the side. Pei said it took her 10 months to put this one dress together. The shoes were so high it took the model five minutes to walk 10 feet. Pei said her inspiration was the story "One Thousand and One Nights."