Andrew Gn: Fashioning the World

Fall at Peabody Essex Museum

By: PEM - May 19, 2025

 

This fall, the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) presents an exhibition that explores the fashion, art and creative philosophy of Singaporean designer and visual artist Andrew Gn. Making its North American debut, Andrew Gn: Fashioning the World illuminates the contemporary designer’s life and legacy, showcasing nearly 100 stunning works, including clothing, accessories, original illustrations and digital media. Reenvisioned at PEM from a 2023 retrospective in Singapore, and organized by PEM in collaboration with the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), Singapore, Andrew Gn: Fashioning the World will be on view at PEM from September 13, 2025 through February 16, 2026. 

 Born in Singapore in 1966, Gn is a pillar of the global fashion community. After founding his Paris atelier in 1995, he produced more than 80 collections and 10,000 elegant ensembles that reference his own heritage for inspiration. The House of Andrew Gn is synonymous with opulence, intricate embellishment and luxurious craftsmanship. Gn is a visionary dressmaker and color virtuoso who is renowned for richly ornamented textiles, exquisite hand embroideries and surprisingly vibrant palettes; he merges artistic traditions, bold patterns and cultural influences. Often called “demi-couture,” Gn’s ready-to-wear designs bear the quality and essence of couture. Many elements were designed in-house, including fabrics, embroideries, buttons and trimmings. This holistic design process reveals the exceptional artistry and craftsmanship that defined Gn’s fashion house.

“In the vibrant world of the House of Andrew Gn, boundless creativity and radical acceptance reign,” said Petra Slinkard, PEM’s Director of Curatorial Affairs and The Nancy B. Putnam Curator of Fashion and Textiles. “Gn’s presentations are designed to engage audiences with wonder, and his deliberate selection of motifs and art historical references reflects his own spirit of inclusivity. Gn does more than design clothing; he promotes an aesthetic and an ideology that celebrates cross-cultural exchange, beauty and technical precision.”

 With the support of Gn’s longtime business partner Erick Hörlin du Houx, who joined the fashion house in 1998, the House of Andrew Gn prospered for 28 years. It is also one of the only fashion houses in Paris to have retained financial independence. Throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America, Gn’s exquisite high-end, ready-to-wear creations have adorned powerful women in politics, high society and the entertainment industry, such as Emma Stone, Janelle Monae, Beyoncé, Maggie Cheung, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kit Chan, Lady Gaga, Lily Collins, Queen Rania of Jordan and the Princess of Wales.

Cross-cultural exchange

Like Salem, Singapore is a port city with layered cultural influences. Gn embraces this spirited amalgamation of popular culture, art history and varied motifs, inspired by Asian, South Asian and Middle Eastern aesthetics. Inspirations include imperial and export porcelain, textiles, batik, Iznik pottery and other forms of hybrid-designed material culture. Visitors to the exhibition can connect pieces from PEM’s world-renowned, historic collection to imagery reflected in Gn’s fashion. 

With his varied ancestry, upbringing and education, Gn considers himself a citizen of the world. Both his father, Gn Yong Kiat, a Teochew immigrant from China, and his mother, Ang Gek Siang, a Peranakan Japanese Singaporean, encouraged their son to enjoy travel and to appreciate all things visually beautiful. Gn studied at Central Saint Martins in London, the Parsons School of Design in New York and Domus Academy in Milan. He later worked as an assistant to the French fashion designer Emanuel Ungaro. 

Exhibition highlights

PEM’s exhibition is divided into thematic sections highlighting the designer’s signature cross-cultural expressions and offering visitors a glimpse inside Gn’s studio, philosophy and unique approach to design thinking. Visitors are invited to consider the complexity of cultural and visual appropriation through the eyes of a designer with a cross-cultural background. The exhibition explores Gn’s career trajectory, introducing visitors to his inspiration and influences as well as his personal connection to works in PEM’s collection. Through a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process, visitors will also learn more about the artist’s global reach and the impact Singapore had on his work. 

One highlight is a sleeveless wool minidress and jacket with "pagoda" shoulders and embroidered glass beads from Gn’s Hope and Glory Collection (Fall-Winter 2021). The decorative buttons on this dress were inspired by jewelled brooches called kerosang worn by Peranakans. The brooches are used in sets of three to fasten the sarong kebaya, worn in the Malay-Indonesia world since the 17th century. Andrew Gn’s mother and Peranakan grandmother wore versions of this garment during his childhood. Lily Collins appears in the dress in the eighth episode of Emily in Paris, a Netflix comedy noted for its depictions of fashion. 

 “PEM is thrilled to bring this stunning exhibition to our audience, in part because Andrew Gn’s designs reflect the ongoing cross-cultural conversation that’s been taking place at PEM for more than 200 years,” said Slinkard. “Echoing both Salem and Singapore’s histories as culturally rich port cities, Gn’s works display a convergence of Asian and Western influences, and feature reinterpretations of Asian cultures, including Chinese, Indian, Malay and Indonesian culture and his Peranakan heritage. Gn has said that his clothes are ‘European chic, American comfort, Chinese depth.’ We welcome loyal fans and design enthusiasts to explore the wonderful world of Andrew Gn.” 

Exhibition Book

Andrew Gn: Fashioning Singapore and the World, a 128-page book published by PEM with support from ACM, explores Gn’s life and work through essays and photos of more than 100 works. Authors include ACM Curator Jackie Yoong, PEM Curator Petra Slinkard and Tan Siok Sun. Photography by Lenne Chai, with forewords by Anne-Sophie von Claer (Le Figaro), Nicole Phelps (Vogue Runway) and Kenneth Goh (Harper’s Bazaar Singapore). This limited edition is only available in the PEM Shop. 

About the House of Andrew Gn

Now closed, the House of Andrew Gn embodied opulence, beauty, embellishment and fine and exclusive fabrication. The house designed and produced its own textiles, buttons and embroidery. While Gn’s surface ornamentation creates a feast for the eyes, the foundation and cut of his garments reference the sinuous streamlines of his American predecessors Halston (1932–1990) and Mainbocher (1898–1972), designers who understood the impact of clean, classic lines and ease of wear.

But Gn is also a storyteller. He uses fashion to illustrate and communicate fanciful narratives about journey and transformation, empowerment and acceptance. Gn’s pieces celebrate the intricate and complex traditions of embroidery, appliqué and beading. Throughout his career, he collaborated with revered houses such as Bianchini Ferrier (France), Clerici Tessuto (Italy) and Bischoff (Switzerland). Gn counts royalty and celebrities from around the globe as his clientele: Catherine, Princess of Wales; Queen Rania of Jordan; Queen Mary of Denmark; as well as Lady Gaga, Emma Stone, Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez. Gn’s designs also appeared in costuming for the Netflix series Emily in Paris.