Is This One of the Most Expensive Dresses in the World?

Pei is curating a collection of works for a sale called GOLD: The Midas Touch. The clue really is in the name and there is a lot of gold on offer, from furniture to jewellery. This is the perfect match for Pei, whose work is often centred around the precious metal and even uses 24-carat gold thread. Her catwalk shows are notoriously opulent – British Vogue say one show can cost upwards of $3 million (AED11.02m) to stage.

As with much of her designs, this particular dress draws upon traditional Chinese art and embroidery. It is a Chinese bridal dress and there’s a reason it’s so expensive – it took five years to complete and is hand-sewn with gold thread.

Pei’s embroidery is a true art form, and one you don’t see often nowadays. Sotheby’s says she used about 30 techniques of stitches in the garment, which helped create a 3D effect on the fabric.

If it looks somewhat familiar, that’s because it has definite stylistic similarities to Pei’s most famous dress: Rihanna’s 2015 Met Gala gown. This was undoubtedly the stand-out look of the night, and has gone down as one of Rihanna’s most daring outfits.

Pei’s work is consistently extravagant and opulent, mixing traditional Chinese embroidery techniques with precious metals and jewels.