The latest move by a luxury brand to promote its iconic stature and heritage among Chinese luxury consumers, Chanel will hold an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) in Shanghai to profile the inspirations behind its couture designs.

The exhibit titled Culture Chanel will run from Jan. 15-March 14. Taking over both floors of the glass structure museum and curated by French art director and critic, Jean-Louis Froment with Chanel's support, the exhibit will feature some 400 items of clothing, artwork, films, and manuscripts.

Though not organized chronologically, it will span the history of Chanel, especially Gabrielle Chanel's rapport with artists including Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso and Igor Stravinsky, through to the Karl Lagerfeld era.

This is not the first fashion exhibit for MoCA. It organized the Salvatore Ferragamo's Evolving Legend 1928-2008 exhibit in honor of the Italian fashion house's 80th anniversary in 2008.

Considered "The Paris of the East",  Shanghai is a hot destination for luxury labels looking to establish prominence in China. Luxury brands have taken a number of initiatives to endear themselves to this cosmopolitan city. According to The Independent:

In November 2009, to commemorate the opening of a Chanel boutique at the Peninsula Hotel in Shanghai, Chanel launched a website devoted exclusively to happenings in Shanghai.

And this past May, to mark the grand reopening of the Christian Dior boutique at the Shanghai Plaza, the French luxury brand rolled out a limited-edition Dior Blue collection that was sold exclusively at the Shanghai store.

But it's French luxury house Hermes that has invested the most heavily in Shanghai. This past September, it opened its first boutique in the city for its new clothing and lifestyle brand Shang Xia. The Chinese sub-label, which means "Up Down" in Mandarin, "aims to boost what [Hermes CEO Patrick] Thomas told AFP was 'very strong growth' in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan - collectively now Hermes' 'principal market.'"

 

 

 

source:red-luxury.com