‘China: Through the Looking Glass’

“China: Through the Looking Glass” is a look at Chinese influence on the West through the lens of fashion. The couture evening gown here was designed by Guo Pei and made of gold lame embroidered with gold and silver silk, metal and sequins.

At the exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, scenes from the epic 1987 film “The Last Emperor” play amid the gowns and dresses.

The exhibition juxtaposes modern designs with ancient textiles and clothing. The yellow update of the tight sheath was designed by Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent.

An uncut imperial robe (center) and the modern-day style it has inspired. The show is a collaboration between the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Costume Institute.

Film clips show how Chinese are portrayed over time by Hollywood and by international filmmakers. The show runs through Aug. 16.

The off-the-shoulder red dress with Chinese icons, center, was created by Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent.

Different takes on the classic Chinese sheath, or qipao, which was adopted by the West and particularly Hollywood.

Vivienne Tam created these dresses emblazoned with portraits of Chinese ruler Mao Tse Tung in the mid-1990s. (Andy Warhol’s silkscreens from 1973 are in the center.)

Haute couture dresses inspired by the Beijing opera are arranged in the Astor Chinese Garden Court.

Chinese-influenced cocktail dresses from the 1950s, from House of Dior (right) and Coco Chanel.

Red is a special color for the Chinese. This Valentino Spa evening dress was part of the fashion line’s Shanghai collection of 2013.

A mesmerizing image of a dress created from broken porcelain cups and dishes by Li Xiaofeng called “The Weight of the Millennium” (2015).

These are wuxia, or “martial heroes,” emerging from a fantastic and plastic bamboo forest. The styles are from Jean Paul Gaultier, circa 2001-02.

A modern dress from Givenchy circa 1997-98 contrasts with a scroll of dragons and landscape from the 14th to 15th century.