Designed in China


Shang Xia has become a symbol of luxury “Designed in China”. Three years after opening their first boutique in China, Hermès’ confidential brand audaciously opened its first European store in Paris (2013). The brand stands for original, impeccable craftsmanship of ancestral origins. Modernized elegance, refined sophistication, timeless know-how and exceptional, qualitative materials are some of the ingredients that complement their beautiful products.

Woven cultures

For his solo show at the 55th Venice Biennale (2013), the Italian artist R. Stingel, covered the three-story Palazzo Grassi from floor to ceiling with an Oriental carpet motif. On this powerful backdrop hung his monochrome paintings. The combination of the two created a surrealistic mix of focus and blur, austerity and exuberance, overthrowing the usual spatial relationship between the artworks and the spectator. This highly contrasting installation, enhanced by the classic palatial architecture, overtly alludes to Venice’s ancient ties with the Middle East.

Ethnic mash-up

For SS 2014, Givenchy blended Eastern and Western influences for a mix of sophisticated Japanese aesthetics, graphic, colorful African motifs and an American urban style both functional and comfortable. The maison’s creative director, R. Tisci, pushed his concept even further in this season’s advertising campaign. The notorious duo Mert & Marcus photographed models from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds such as neo-soul diva Erykah Badu and models Asia Chow, Riley Montana, Maria Borges and Dominik Bauer.

Baroque extravagance

Unveiled in November 2013, the second episode of Louis Vuitton’s Invitation to Travel campaign was directed by Romain Gavras. The extravagant short film leads the audience to a mysterious masked ball in Venice where we meet the main attraction: David Bowie performing “I’d Rather Be High”. This invite to travel through times and cultures takes us on a journey to a phantasmagorical world where surrealism, baroque opulence and glamour blend into one.