Dress, Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent, Fall 2004.[Photo provided to China Daily]

In his 1999 ready-to-wear collection for Dior, British designer John Galliano took a hint from China's tumultuous "cultural revolution" (1966-1976), and presented his models for a show in military fatigue-like outfits, complete with caps and armbands, in a throwback to the days of the "red guards".

"The show itself was brilliant, groundbreaking, but I don't think it was a commercial success as I didn't see too many people wearing pieces from that collection," says Zuo. "To go underneath the surface requires courage even for a creative genius like Mr Galliano."

After he joined Dior in 1997 as chief designer, China emerged as a recurring theme in Galliano's clothes.

In an interview to American Vogue ahead of the Met show this year, Galliano talked about his three-week trip to China in 2002, when he met with the monks of Shaolin Temple.

"I said to them, 'I want to meditate. I've tried this and that, but I can't clear my mind,'" Galliano was quoted by Vogue as saying. "They asked about my creative process and I explained everything."

Then came the moment of epiphany for the designer, who has a reputation for unwavering focus on his work.

"They (the monks) said, 'Well, you don't need to look any further. You've been meditating since the age of 13,'" he said in the interview.