Swarovski’s ‘Masters of Light’ Exhibition Premieres in Shanghai
SHANGHAI — Swarovski is pulling out all the stops for its first large-scale exhibition in the brand’s history.
Unveiled at Shanghai’s Museum of Contemporary Art, the Austrian crystal-maker’s “Masters of Light” exhibition is divided into seven sections and encompasses pieces from the company’s inception in 19th-century Vienna to modern-day Shanghai.
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An array of stage costumes and red-carpet moments — including a 2016 replica of Marilyn Monroe’s Jean Louis gown, Katy Perry’s viral chandelier dress at the 2019 Met Gala, a look that Rihanna wore to the 2019 Savage x Fenty showcase premiere and Doja Cat’s bedazzled Schiaparelli dress — are being presented to the public for the first time in China.
The exhibition also brings together more than 60 outfits or jewelry pieces from major fashion brands, including Thierry Mugler, Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Christian Lacroix, Christian Dior, Balenciaga, Gucci, Guo Pei and Robert Wun.
Gazing into the future, Swarovski worked with the Beijing-based artist Tian Xiaolei to come up with seven human-machine hybrids for the brand. Featured in the chamber called “Mathemagical,” the seven dancing crystal humanoids are projected onto seven white walls, offering a mythical end to the viewing journey.
The exhibition was curated by British fashion journalist and curator Alexander Fury and will be open to the public from Wednesday to Oct. 9.
“We call these events major branding moments,” explained Swarovski’s chief executive officer Alexis Nasard. “What we intend to do is to display the full set of our history, of our future and of our artistry. Despite all the advancements in technology there is nothing like having successive chambers for you to have wonders and surprises at every corner.”
Another highlight, which was unveiled for the first time in the “Diamonds of the Future” chamber, is Galaxy, a new fine jewelry collection designed by Swarovski’s global creative director Giovanna Engelbert and made with Swarovski’s lab-grown diamonds.
“It is incredible to work with this new material; it’s mind blowing how the effect of millions of years can be compressed in a matter of weeks to create a diamond that has exactly the same molecular position as natural diamonds,” Engelbert explained. “This is a birth of a new dimension for Swarovski, thus the inspiration behind Galaxy, which gave birth to the universe. I tried to keep the design as simple as possible so we can have this very organic, yet very well-planned setting for the diamonds.”
The decision to showcase the first leg of the exhibition in Shanghai is a strategic one, Nasard said. “First, it’s in China: China is big, China is important and China is here to stay. Second, I find cities that have paradoxes a lot more conducive to creative inspiration, and Shanghai has a lot of paradoxes.”
Despite uncertainty around China’s economic future, Nasard said the brand has been “performing very well” thanks to a wide range of product offerings.
“It’s important to also remember that the luxury that Swarovski offers is different from anybody else. We are the only brand that offers products from 100 euros to 100,000 euros,” Nasard added. “So even if the economy is going through a little bit of a pinch, our customers find that you can always find something within our range, as a way to treat yourself.”
To drive the next stage of growth, the brand plans to participate in key selling events, such as Chinese New Year and Chinese Valentine’s Day, as well as update the existing store design “at aggressive rates.” The new retail format, with bursts of color and candy shop-like merchandising, helped boost single-store sales by 14 percent on average, according to Nasard.
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