Decoding the China fixation

Cocktail dress by Christian Dior for House of Dior, 1951.[Photo provided to China Daily]

But in China, not everything made as a result of this enduring fixation is appreciated. Western designers' highly-stylized renditions of Chinese motifs have led some reviewers here to question the authenticity of their garments when it comes to interpreting China through sartorial means, according to Jiang.

"If you look closely, although China has undergone dramatic changes over the past century, the clothes from Western designers inspired by China haven't."

For Beijing designer Christopher Bu, who shot to fame after dressing Fan for the Cannes Film Festival in 2011 and 2012, stereotyping may be unavoidable owing to how people approach any foreign culture - looking for an element of exotica.

"They constantly reference the past simply because modern China is not so different from their world after all, " Bu says. "It's true that classical Chinese culture speaks to demure and understated aesthetics. But for those who are not born in that tradition, visual impact is needed to make an impression."

According to him, the beauty of an YSL dress by Tom Ford, for instance, may hinge on many things including on how it is cut. But a Met visitor may leave the exhibition just remembering dragons floating on a sea of red sequins. Similarly, Western designers' drawings may be influenced by what they most recall from a just-viewed Chinese art show or kung fu movie.