A view of some of the fashion on display during a preview of the Costume Institute's spring 2015 exhibition "China: Through the Looking Glass" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, New York, May 4, 2015. [Photo/IC]

One room is devoted to opium and the Chinese impact on Yves Saint Laurent's 1977 fall/winter collection with its Mongol-influenced fur jackets and coats.

An oriental garden is peopled with mannequins wearing Chinese-inspired elaborate dresses, coats, skirts and gowns by John Galliano for his 2003 spring/summer collection for the House of Dior.

The show also features clips of Chinese films such as "The Last Emperor," "Raise the Red Lantern" and "Farewell My Concubine" screened in rooms with the Western gowns and outfits they inspired.

"Films are frequently the first events in which Western designers encountered Chinese imagery," said Bolton. "The exhibition explores the impact of movies in shaping their fantasies."