The spectacular catwalk show Swarovski Runway Rocks wowed a cosmopolitan audience from across the Asia Pacific region at Shanghai’s new Lane Crawford store.
Chinese actress Yuan Quan admires Donghua University's student's creations inspired by Swarovski
Unveiling a dazzling collection of avant-garde jewels by globally renowned designers the show included archive creations by the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier, Zaha Hadid and Christopher Kane. One-of-a-kind new commissions hit the catwalk by designers such as Giles, Masha Ma, Huishan Zhang and Guo Pei, to name a few. The show also included a captivating performance by dancer Wenwen Yan incorporating Ted Noten’s new commission, ‘Sweet Temptation’.
On arrival at Lane Crawford’s Times Square flagship store, guests including Yuan Quan, Ni Ni, Tan Yuan Yuan were greeted by two ten-metre wide window installations created by Swarovski in collaboration with Shanghai-based fashion designer Jin Chong Yu from fashion brand Lesjin, who incorporated over 30,000 crystals in his stained glass window inspired design. The majestic installation sits next to a second window which incorporated pieces created by talented design students from Donghua University, will be on show throughout December.
Guests enjoyed a cocktail reception surrounded by a collection of monumental sculptural works inspired by crystal which were created by Israeli-born artist and designer Arik Levy, as well as new art commissions incorporating Swarovski crystal and genuine gemstones by students from London’s prestigious Central Saint Martins. The art works, accompanied by an exhibition showcasing Runway Rocks’ unique jewelry pieces, will continue to be on show throughout the festive period on the ground and 2nd floor of the multi brand store.
Another highlight of tonight’s glittering event was the unveiling of Atelier Swarovski’s first capsule jewelry collection based on a Runway Rocks design. Re Love, a ten-piece collection by Wang Peiyi is inspired by the imperfect beauty of broken mirrors. Exploring the romantic ideal that true love can stand the test of time, each jewelry piece represents the re-formation of the broken mirror. Each is named after numbers one to ten in Chinese; and together the collection forms the Perfect Ten in celebration of the first Swarovski Runway Rocks show which was staged ten years ago. The Atelier Swarovski by Wang Peiyi for Runway Rocks Re Love collection is exclusively available at Lane Crawford, Shanghai, Wang Peiyi’s Studio, authorized retailers and selected Swarovski boutiques.
Conceived by Nadja Swarovski and first staged in London in 2003, Runway Rocks is an evolving collection of unique body adornments created using Swarovski crystal and genuine gemstones that has been showcased in ten catwalk extravaganzas and numerous exhibitions around the world. Swarovski Runway Rocks, Shanghai, featured a selection of archive pieces by the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier, Christopher Kane and Zaha Hadid as well as twelve new commissions created especially for the show by some of the most exciting design talents of the 21st Century including jewelry designers Stephen Webster, Ted Noten and Ek Thongprasert, Feverish and Sarina Suriano and fashion designers Giles Deacon, Guo Pei, Masha Ma, Wang Pei Yi and Huishan Zhang, Jing Chong Yu and Tex Saverio.
Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Swarovski Executive Board, commented: “We are thrilled to bring this amazing new collection to China’s fashion capital, and especially to Lane Crawford, a great force within the fashion industry that is steeped in history, driven by creativity and committed to showcasing creative talent.
“Runway Rocks is truly unique – a platform for the most spectacular catwalk jewelry imaginable that uses our extraordinary crystals and gemstones to explore the very limits of body adornment. It’s been an honor collaborating with so many design visionaries on Runway Rocks Shanghai and I know that their fabulous creations will amaze and delight in equal measure.”