Guo was born to two members of China's Communist Party, her father being a former battalion leader of the People's Army and her mother being a kindergarten teacher.

[5] In the same interview Guo says she got her start in sewing at the age of 2 years old, helping her mother make clothes for the winter and developed her love for dressmaking.

She states that there was a sudden demand for fashion that grew in China, with one of her most popular factory designs being a brightly colored winter coat with a hood.

In the early 2000s Guo Pei's reputation began to grow, she received commissions to create styles for the 2008 Summer Olympics as well as the annual Spring Festival Galas put on by China Central Television (CCTV).

American model, Carmen Dell'Orefice appeared in the show wearing an elaborate white embroidered fur-lined gown, with an escort of four to help carry its train.

Early reactions to the dress design spawned viral memes on social media, with the eye catching yellow material and sizable train drawing comparisons to omelettes and pizzas.

Inspired by spring flowers for femininity and the phoenix for peace and purity, the collection had traditional Chinese influences like gold tassels, intricate threadwork embroidery over silk, bibs and long trains.

[13] Her Spring 2017 haute couture collection, presented at La Conciergerie and titled "Legend", was inspired by the murals of the St. Gallen Cathedral in Switzerland.

In 2016, she made history by being the first designer of Asian descent to be invited to join the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture as a guest member.

[25] Guo Pei uses intricate details, gold embroidery, and a recurring theme of l'heure bleue in her designs, signifying dawn or dusk.

[26] Her runway arrangement for her Spring/Summer 2021 haute couture presentation, which featured a forest and roots, was a demonstration of her ability to capture the essence of life in her creations.

[27] Rose Studio is the name of Guo Pei's showroom in the Chaoyang district of Beijing, and is three stories in what would be considered a drab area near in an industrial park.