Asia’s pioneer fashion exhibition returns with K11 Night, also known as The Met Gala of Asia, in celebration of craft couture from East to West.
A selection of designs on display by Tomo Koizumi
This year, K11, a global high-end lifestyle brand operator under New World Group, has brought Asia’s pre-eminent fashion exhibition back, this time in partnership with the Victoria and Albert Museum, the world’s largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design. Titled The Love of Couture: Artisanship in Fashion Beyond Time, the exhibition is set to excite the senses as craft couture from the east and west, from past to present, is brought to the public again this December at K11 Musea’s Art & Cultural Centre in Hong Kong’s Victoria Dockside.
Following the success of its 2021 debut, K11 Musea, also known as Hong Kong’s Silicon Valley of Culture, is powering ahead with this highly anticipated second edition that is a cultural exchange exploring the evolution of fashion across time and space – a celebration of artisanship and the next generation of designers as well as an effort to rejuvenate the cultural landscape of Hong Kong, a city to see and be seen.
A key visual selected by the exhibition’s Production Designer William Chang Suk Ping that shows a … [+]
In addition to partnering with the Victoria and Albert Museum, revered Hong Kong production designer, costume designer and film editor William Chang Suk Ping is also on board in this year’s exhibition along with six emerging fashion designers from Japan, South Korea, China and Hong Kong, whose collaborative mission is to take inspiration from the V&A’s historical collection of British and French womenswear and craft new bespoke couture rooted in their East Asian cultures. The process itself is an invigorating exercise in tracing how fashion evolves over time as it absorbs and assimilates the impacts of cultural similarities and deviations, holding up a mirror to how, for centuries, varied cultures have stimulated the imagination of designers and served as inspiration for their creations. On show in the exhibition are designs by Tomo Koizumi of eponymous fashion brand Tomo Koizumi, Yueqi Qi of Yueqi Qi, Ryunosuke Okazaki of Ryunosukeokazaki, Celine Kwan of Celine Kwan, Sensen Lii of Windowsen and Sohee Park of Miss Sohee.
A selection designs from local fashion designer Celine Kwan.
Adrian Cheng, Chair of K11 Night, has said “fashion throughout history is reflective of how traditions, craftsmanship, creativity and societies continue to evolve,” adding that he is “thrilled to present this exhibition in collaboration with the V&A and work with [the] brilliant designers who have all in their own individual way reinvented and modernised history with their unique perspective and talent,” reflecting his desire to create a deeper cultural exchange between east and west by providing a platform for next generation talent.
Historical couture pieces on display courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Tim Reeve, Deputy Director, and Chief Operating Officer at the V&A has also remarked that “The Love of Couture: Artisanship in Fashion Beyond Time is fully aligned with the V&A’s core mission, to champion design and creativity in all its forms for everyone,” saying “we are delighted with this opportunity for V&A to continue its international engagement strategy in the region and support craftsmanship and creativity,” as well as adding that “our collection is renowned for providing inspiration for designers and I’m pleased that the collaboration with K11 continues this practice through the creation of new culturally meaningful projects.”
Couture creations from the 1830’s on display courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
However, the V&A’s role in this remarkable collaboration goes beyond just providing inspiration to the designers. It will also narrate the gradual transformation of artisanship in fashion and textiles, something which Hong Kong is famous for, by giving the public precious access to items dating from the 1830’s to the 1960’s, the result being a display of 12 historical artefacts, all being displayed for the first time in Hong Kong. Exhibition visitors will thus be taken on ahistorical journey, all the way from the 1830’s to the ‘Golden Age of Couture’.
The Love of Couture: Artisanship in Fashion Beyond Time will be available to the public until January 29, 2023.