FILM À LA MODE Juxtaposing East and West in Yellow Is Forbidden

Having made an impact following its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018, Pietra Brettkelly’s Yellow Is Forbidden cements the New Zealand filmmaker’s reputation for taking audiences on fascinating cross-cultural journeys. This documentary is the result of nearly two years spent with Chinese fashion designer Guo Pei across six countries, chronicling the couturier’s quest to gain the ultimate respect in the fashion world: an invitation to Paris’ Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. As well as being an exquisite visual spectacle that showcases the intricacy and beauty of Guo’s creations, the film explores the interactions between Eastern and Western cultures in the world of high fashion. Brettkelly pays respect to her subject’s Chinese heritage through explorations of the sociohistorical and cultural references in Guo’s work, while allowing us to witness the designer’s sometimes-tenuous relationship with the largely Eurocentric fashion world.

The term ‘haute couture’ is protected under French law, and use of it requires approval by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Its historical and cultural significance remains strong, even in a world of ubiquitous brands and fast fashion, as it is synonymous with handmade, exquisitely designed and, of course, wildly expensive goods. Guo’s love of the couture tradition and her almost encyclopedic knowledge of designers (Cristóbal Balenciaga is a favourite) is explored early in the film, and the lofty esteem