An image from the “Lady Dior As Seen By” exhibit, which will arrive in Hong Kong on September 11. (Dior)
Earlier this summer, it was Chanel’s little black jacket. This month, it’s Burberry’s classic trench. Now, after originating in Shanghai two years ago, Dior is bringing its own exhibition of an iconic piece back to Greater China with its traveling “Lady Dior As Seen By” exhibition, which will make a stop in Hong Kong in September.
The exhibition features 80 works of art based on interpretations of the label’s iconic Lady Dior bag, including several designed by Chinese contemporary artists including Liu Jianhua, Huang Rui, and Rong Rong. In addition, David Lynch, Annie Wan, and Olympia Scarry have designed pieces for the exhibit. Originating in Shanghai two years ago, the globetrotting exhibit has been to Milan, Tokyo, and São Paolo.
Hong Kong joins Shanghai and Beijing as a key location for traveling exhibitions by major fashion designers showcasing one iconic piece highly associated with the brand. Chanel’s “Little Black Jacket” exhibit was in Hong Kong last summer, and traveled to Beijing and Shanghai this year. Meanwhile, Burberry is opting for the mainland as its first Chinese location, unveiling its “Art of the Trench” exhibit August 29 in Shanghai after stints in Chicago, Brazil, and India.
Chinese cities are prime locations for these traveling exhibitions, which provide consumers with a strong sense of a brand’s heritage through a medium more sophisticated than usual advertisements. The Dior exhibit also emphasizes the connections being forged between fashion and art, which allow for brands to distinguish themselves in a unique manner. The exhibit will also feature three special edition Lady Dior bags in rose dragée cannage lambskin, coquelicot houndstooth printed elaphe, and rose dragée smooth calfskin with flower embroidery.