Luxury in Asia

An UFO landed on the roof of Star Ferry Car park nearby Hongkong bay, 27th Feb (till 5th April). It is in this futuristic, shiny, white, curved pavilion that Chanel launched its first stop of modern art exhibition called ‘Mobile Art’.

The strange futuristic pavilion as itself an artwork is created by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. Made of 300 blocks of FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastics) and assembled in 4 weeks, the exhibition venue becomes the pearl shining in HongKong Central skyline. When night comes, it is covered in neon blue.

The modern art exhibition consists of artistic interpretations of the iconic Chanel handbag. Visitors are encouraged to wear headphones to listen to music by Jeanne Moreau specifically designed in mandarin and cantonese to voyage in « ce film en 3D, ce paysage qui bouge » (a real landscape and a 3-dimensional film which comes to life) promised by Fabrice Bousteau, Mobile Art Exhibition curator.

The exhibit features works by 20 international artists from China, France, South Korea, Iran, Belgium, Russia and the United States among other countries. A giant sculpture of a black Chanel handbag that encases a video, by Swiss artist Sylvie Fleury; two stuffed pigs next to encased Chanel handbags called “Jesus Love and 2 Handbags”, by Belgian artist Wim Delyoye. Japanese artist Tabaimo designed a black hole with graphic animation. It’s her interpretation of unlocking the secrets hidden inside a handbag. We can also find the creations of french artists Daniel Buren “Untitled 2008″ and Sophie Calle, the shanghainese filmmaker Yang Fudong. A black poetic room under Paris touch by Argentine artist Leandro Erlich; a bouquet of flowers in mosaic by Taiwanese artist Michael Linn with the crystal clouds by Italien artist Loris Cecchini; gag videos of Russian Blue Noses and bondage photos of Araki with chaines of Chanel handbag.

Bousteau says the exhibit is intended to be experimental and to move art away from the more traditional museum setting. “Mobile Art in my view is an expression of utopia and the future. It’s a completely weird architectural project because it’s the first building in the world which will travel, which will circulate and which is nomadic.”

The exhibition will travel through Asia, the U.S., London, Moscow and arrive in Paris in 2010. The next stop after Hong Kong is Tokyo.

“8-8-2008″, sounds so chinese, is Gucci‘s Limited Edition line of accessories created by Frida Giannini to commemorate the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

It seems that the creator knows well about the chinese culture, especially about our affection of the number “8″ and the color “Red”, “8-8-2008″ collection declines in 8 groups of accessories: watch, bicycle, toy Panda, leather goods, sports shoes, jewelry, and of course Mahjong (which we so called the traditional chinese “sport”.) WWD declares the special edition of the $1,415 I-Gucci digital watch to be the “collection’s icing” and will have worldwide sale. The rest of the collection is only available in China since January 2008.

Thing is “8″ & “red” are the symbols of traditional chinese culture seen by foreigners, however, in the eyes of most part of chinese, the “8″ stuff could be meretricious. I do not hope that these european historic luxury brands target simply on “8″ lovers of their asia market.

由创意总监Frida Giannini精心设计，Gucc将于2008年1月推出限量版”8-8-2008″北京奥运系列。设计主题围绕中国传统文化展开，设计师将中国人情有独钟的”8·发”及”喜气洋红”表现得淋漓尽致。此系列涵盖腕表、单车、熊猫玩具、旅行袋、侧背包、运动鞋、首饰及麻將8组商品。麻将配有经典La Pelle Guccissima皮质收纳盒，具有收藏价值。据WWD报道，售价为$1,415的I-Gucci腕表将成为Gucci奥运系列之“冰点”，表背有2008字样彰显纪念意义。

限量版”8-8-2008″系列除腕表款为全球发行外，其余商品仅在大陆及香港独家销售。
(右上图为由大陆影视新星黄晓明代言的宣传广告)

The Future of Multisensory Marketing

Washington, DC 20036-1907
October 28 2007
from NewReleaseWire.com

Multisensory marketing, also called sensory branding, is becoming an important method of marketing and product development in higher-end markets, according to Kristin Nauth, author of a study, “Multisensory Marketing,” published by the futurist research and consulting firm Social Technologies.

“Many companies are finding that when they engage consumers with multiple sensory touchpoints—not just the traditional sensory channels of sight or hearing—they can enhance consumers’ emotional connection with their products and brands,” Nauth explains. She notes that multisensory strategies seek to go beyond delivering functionality and value to evoking significant personal identification with products. “Marketers will increasingly aim to touch consumers deeply, creating connections to memories, values, identity, and aspirations. In effect, they are using sensation as a portal to meaning.”

Driving the senses

The drivers behind the multisensory marketing trend include:

• Science — Research into the physiology of the senses and how they interact is exploding, with fields as diverse as brain science, genomics, psychology, and food science contributing to discoveries and applications.
• The market — The democratization of luxury, a well-established consumer trend in many parts of World 1, means that companies are making premium features and designs available to the middle market and that more middle-class consumers expect and seek out these higher-end products.
• Brand differentiation — Proliferation of product choices and omnipresent marketing are forcing companies to find new ways to differentiate their products and capture consumers’ attention.
• Technology — Creating killer apps. Another driver is technology, which is enabling more refined, targeted, and/ or heightened sensory impacts.

“Early applications of sensory marketing are centered on packaging,” Nauth notes, pointing to manufacturers that are increasingly using scented ink, encapsulated-aroma technologies, and scratch-and-sniff panels to provide personalization or give consumers a sense (literally) of the product inside.

“Proctor & Gamble was a pioneer with its scratch-and-sniff toothpaste packages, and Scentisphere has introduced Rub’nSmell, a scented printable ink that can be used on packaging,” she says. Sound and touch are also emerging sensory technologies being incorporated into product design.

“Look for in-store advertising to be transformed by hypersonic sound, which projects soundwaves in a beam that can be heard only be someone standing directly in its path,” Nauth adds. “Mobile phones will also start to gain a tactile dimension with systems like VibeTonz, which provides a library of vibration effects that can convey a laugh or a heartbeat via touch.”

Business Implications

• Multisensory approaches could become much more central to marketing over the next five to 10 years—and, in fact, may become a cost of entry in some industries or product categories.

• Aging baby boomers could be a particularly ripe demographic for multisensory marketing. Not only do many boomers regard small indulgences as part of their routine self-care, but as boomers age they will require stronger sensory inputs.

• Japan, India, and Thailand are among the cultures with longstanding traditions of incorporating the five senses, but in the years to come, more US firms will borrow flavors from abroad and look internationally for novel sensory cues.

• On the flipside, global companies will need to localize their multisensory marketing to fit the tastes and taboos of the countries where they operate; some will find this a deterrent to applying multisensory marketing in all but the most affluent markets.

Kristin Nauth/Futurist

Kristin Nauth serves as Social Technologies’ house editor and also contributes to the firm’s multiclient and custom projects as a senior writer/analyst. Kristin has been in the futures field since 1995, performing services such as trend analysis, environmental scanning, and scenario development for leading firms including Global Business Network, the Institute for Alternative Futures, and Coates & Jarratt, as well as for corporate clients including Procter & Gamble, Kellogg, and Cadbury Adams. Previously a Washington-based business journalist and competitive intelligence professional, Kristin has provided services ranging from primary research and reporting to competitive intelligence for clients including the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Gannett USA, and the Library of Congress. Kristin received her degree in philosophy and English from The Evergreen State College. Areas of expertise: Boomers / Gen X / Gen Y

About Social Technologies

Social Technologies is a global research and consulting firm specializing in the integration of foresight, strategy, and innovation. With offices in Washington DC, London, and Shanghai, Social Technologies serves the world’s leading companies, government agencies, and nonprofits. A holistic, long-term perspective combined with actionable business solutions helps clients mitigate risk, make the most of opportunities, and enrich decision-making. Also to visit ChangeWave Blog.

Wang Wei, a Shanghai native but based in London, becomes one of the first-class couture in the young generation. Known as the first Chinese designer to break into London’s esteemed Fashion Week, he has made a big career and builds up himself a high reputation on the global stage.

Graduated from Shanghai’s Donghua University and studied in Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, his particular background has allowed him to use a mixed idea of combining both Eastern and Western culture or elements in his work. His philosophy is to balance the contradictiory elements and try to make them cooperate with each other by western techniques for tailoring and the way of Deconstructionism. Though he is only 33 years old, his age is not an obstacle for his design, which is definitely not immature or tawdry, but connotational and expert.

His outstanding performance in the past has already won him strong support form some global groups like Lycra, Tencel, L’Oreal and Itouch and held his own catwalk shows in the cities such as Osaka, Taipei, Hongkong and Shanghai. With high remarks from renown professional media as Vogue, Elle, in Oct.2005, he was chosen as feature designer by Vogue China launch issue. In 2006, with the support of the british Fashion Council, Wang Wei have been involved in “London Fusion” fashion showcase along the Bund in Shanghai which was organized by the Mayor of London to feature leading fashion designers from London and China.

He’s now running his own lable and his personal studio,Wang Wei Gallery, set up London in 2006. After his show in Shanghai Fashion week in 2005, his work caught attention of Three British Fashion Council members incuding Vivien Westwood. Soon he has received the invitation for London Fashion Week 2006. The launch of his debut showcase at London Fashion Week in February was an instant success, which was followed by abundant good feedbacks from not only the professionals, the media, but the buyers as well. Thanks to his endowment in the field of design and his strong perception of aesthetics, some of the most fastidious British buyers are feeling inclined to his garments.

With his new collection, he made himself again the highlight of the exhibition. “Shade of Color”, is the inspiration, or the pivot of the season. The color scheme of this season is used to interpret “light in space”, with a focus on intense whites, light grays and complementary darker shades. To achieve such effect of light and color, the designer insisted using high-quality material from Japan . 100% cotton and silk, the two simple but pure fabrics, help him to deliver his thoughts in a rather implicit way, which closely accord to the essence of oriental culture.

Also to read:
Interview with WANG Wei /by shmag
UK style: East meets West /by Chicago Fashionista

The Pivo 2, from Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., is an advanced electric concept car that will debut at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show (October 27).

A round-eyed robot featuring cameras head sits on the dashboard and warns if the driver is getting sleepy. This highly innovative Robotic Agent talks to you in Japanese and English so that you are never alone on the move.

Let it drives you to the world of japanese manga. /by Bornrich

A french friend came back from his trip in Shanghai and sent me some photos…

What’s new in Shanghai? A surprise, a well-known french fashion magazine Le Figaro Madame opened his fashion store, it seems. Located in a shanghai based shopping mall in Nanjing Xi Road where also the most luxury brands settled down recently such as LV, Cartier in Plaza 66, Le Figaro Madame shop has a modern design which also corresponds to his originality: over sized Magazine cover adorns the wall. We can find urban style dresses, skirts, T-shirts, chemises, coats… as all the other fashion brands do with a relative high price in Shanghai.

More than a surprise, yet Le Figaro Madame magazine doesn’t know about this new diversification as their development strategy. Thus, they share exactly the same logo…

Once a year, farmers in Inakadate, Japan, take some time off from their daily grind to create large-scale works of environmental art. To create the images, the farmers usekodaimai rice, which is purple and yellow-leafed, along with their usual tsugaru-roman (green-leafed) variety. A tradition since 1993, this year’s creation is currently in the works and will be visible until September when the rice is harvested.

The works of Inakadate’s farmers have inspired others across Japan, with images sprouting from the rice fields of Yonezawa and Nishio as well. /By PSFK

Nike as a sportswear american brand has an incredible influence of life style in China, here goes a short message from Shanghaiist.

“From a Shanghai-based artist Chen Hangfeng:

I just love Nike, the shoes, the shirts, the hats. There is not a piece of clothing I own that doesn’t bear the Nike logo. One morning I realized that even my shit was shaped like a Nike Logo. I wonder, is there something wrong with my stomach or my mind.
No turds were harmed in the creation of this poster. Poo made from plastic putty and oil paint. Isn’t it luxurious?!)”

Hello Kitty (ハローキティ Harō Kiti), the mouthless cat turned global icon of cuteness, is all the rage these days among children and pretty young women. The cute Hello Kitty, created in 1974 by the Sanrio Company of Japan, has always been a symbol of friendship and happiness. But now, after we have seen so many luxury Hello Kitty products on the shelves, it looks like they have become more of a fashion statement. From Victoria Couture to Swarovski,from robot to laptop, from platium to gold…

Teamed with six young German fashion designers just in time for Fashion week in Berlin, e-Bay Germany, branching out to a more stabilized shopping experience, is creating exclusive online stores for each of them. The platform “Exklusiv auf eBay: Junge Designer” offers these designers a chance to present themselves and their collection without the investment of renting a retail place and gives as well eBay the opportunity to test out the luxury market online.

“We are delignted to work with such talented designers, to support them through these new shops and foster their reach. We also expand eBay’s fashion offering and expect it to bring up huge interest”, stated by Patrick Boos, Vice President Auction.

Every designer’s shop displays a handful of clothes from their collection, with some prices exceeding nearly €2,000. As with all other eBay purchases, there is a delivery fee on top of the listed price.

Berlin-based Tulpen Design is on head as favorite. with six elegant pieces in the collection, the range consists of items such as a delicate ivory silk halter-top, €470 to more formal dresses such as the lilac silk chiffon gown with low cut back, €1290.

The other five designers include Majaco, Marcusmattes, Anja Gockel, Ella Deck Hamburg and Peter Krell Modeddesign.

Apparently, critics come all over not only about the designers issus but also on eBay’s core business: lack of brand loyalty as a young new designer, cheaper feeling that brought by eBay image, lack of customer support and quality problems, etc. Nevertheless, the designers have received a huge amount of attention from media, which gives them a hand to enter into the market place.

Also read:

• PSFK: eBay enters the luxury market
• Blognation: eBay starts exculsive shops for six young fashion designers