In 2022, Swire Properties partnered with victoria and albert museums (V&A museums) in the UK, the world's leading art and design museum, to present the exhibition "Bags: Inside Out" to Chinese mainland and Hong Kong audiences. As Swire Properties' first event to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the touring exhibition was inaugurated on 28 April at the Red Pavilion in Taikoo Li North District, Sanlitun, Beijing, and will continue until 27 May, where they will be open to the public free of charge to explore the ultimate fashion charm of bags.
Celebrities from many fields gathered to help the first stop in Asia
On the first day of the launch on April 28, it attracted celebrities and fashion media representatives from different fields: Feng Yuanyue, vice president of Vivid Watson Media Group, Zhao Lei, international supermodel, artist Long Di, fashion blogger Savi, fashion host Li Jianian, and fashion blogger Suki Crispy. The bag is not only a fashion item, but also a necessity for daily life, from materials, craftsmanship, functional output, to design, art, culture condensation, they discuss while watching the exhibition in the exhibition hall, interpreting the multiple values of bags for life and fashion.
More than 240 exhibits, interpreting the design, material, craftsmanship and culture of bags
Committed to bringing art and culture into people's daily lives, Swire Properties has always been a strong supporter of the arts and has hosted world-class arts and cultural events in its malls. On the occasion of Swire Dicheng's celebration of the company's 50th anniversary, it is once again partnering with the V&A Museum in the UK to present the exhibition "Bags: Inside Out", the exhibition's first Asian tour, curated by Dr Lucia Savi, around the bag's "Function and Utility", "Status and Identity", "Design and Production" Making) three major themes, exhibiting more than 240 exhibits from around the world, spanning the 16th century to the present.
Inside the bag, exhibits include paper samples, samples, metal fittings, design sketches, tools and material plates, completely presenting a bag from scratch. Outside, the bags on display include the collections and private collections of the V&A Museum in the UK and other museums around the world, and exhibits related to designer brands and fashion brands are from Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Cartier, Celine, Chanel, Christian Dior, Fendi, Versace, Gucci, Hermès, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Moynat, Tod's, Off-White, Prada, Saint Laurent, Thom Browne, and Valextra. The exhibits also collect handbags owned by or associated with celebrities. From the colorful patterned handbags from Peru in 1533 to the "Lady Dior" handbags from Christian Dior in Paris in 2020; from the "Kelly" handbags of Hermès, beloved by movie star and Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, to carrie Bradshaw's classic Fendi "Baguette" handbags in "Sex and the City", played by Sarah Jessica Parker. The abundance of exhibits is the ultimate display of the infinite charm of bags.
Inclusive of memories, exclusive co-actor Tang Wei presents the "Handbag Collection" exhibition area
As a fashion accessory, in addition to carrying objects, handbags can also reflect the characteristics of their owners - from personality to taste, they can be spied through the design of handbags. The last part of the exhibition, Collecting Bags, co-curated by Swire Properties, is only featured in this Chinese mainland touring exhibition. The theme area will showcase 10 private treasures by famous movie star Tang Wei.
From the personal handbag collection of movie star Tang Wei, you can appreciate her cherishing of the things around her. Each of the collections presented here has accompanied her for many years and is filled with many memories and experiences. The exhibits show her personality from the side that does not pursue a luxurious life, as well as her preference for simple, functional design. Compared with the flashing and gorgeous shape, the craftsmanship and details are more favored by Tang Wei. Other exhibits are handbags related to the work of actress Tang Wei, from which she feels her love for the role and the seriousness of her work. From preparing for casting, to figuring out the character's personality, the details are full of details. From the inner world of the character to the makeup and hair styling, just like the inside and outside of the bag, she has considered it meticulously, making people feel her dedication and passion for her work.
Inside and outside the bag, modern neighborhoods lead the way in urban lifestyle
Inside and outside the bag, it is not only fashion and design, but also its unlimited functions and performance, derived commercial and cultural and artistic values, and is closely related to everyone. One of Swire Hotels' four-house collection, Beijing Yushu and Taikoo Li Sanlitun, have created four creative cocktail specialties around the theme of "bags" and blending different fashion styles. “Fabergé Egg”，“I’m Not a Plastic Bag”， “Grace Kelly”，“Lait de Coco”。 During the exhibition, The Modern Salon Cocktail Bar Union at The Opposite House highlights the unique taste of bag lovers from visual to taste, and enjoys their own fashion.
During the "Inside inside and out" exhibition in Taikoo Li, Sanlitun, you can not only participate in the limited membership gift for the full amount of consumption on the day, but also participate in the weekly special exhibition and fashion interaction held by different fashion trend media and well-known bloggers. Taikoo Li Sanlitun is a scene of open commercial space, presenting unlimited creativity for consumers to immerse themselves, please enter and take care of everything in Vientiane. Through this partnership with the V&A Museum in the UK, Swire Properties will continue to provide a unique opportunity for public, culture and fashion lovers in Chinese mainland and Hong Kong to experience international museum exhibitions up close. Following the inaugural exhibition in Sanlitun, Beijing, the exhibition will also be toured at other Swire Properties malls, including Taikoo Li in Qiantan, Shanghai, Taikoo Hui in Guangzhou, Ocean Taikoo Li in Chengdu and Pacific Place in Hong Kong, open to the public free of charge. Step into your city and explore the lifestyle of your life inside and out of the bag together.