The Oh-So-Arty Side of Shanghai's Fashion Week

Shanghai Fashion Week is approaching and it means that besides long lines for fashion shows, gorgeous, androgen models and bizarre and uber trendy fashion victims you also get to check out some new fashion activities crafted under the independent platform- Labelhood. I already mentioned it last season, that the real fashion week happens here and not in the official Shanghai Fashion Week tents. Lablehood is a great example of how government institutions recognized the potential of China’s new emerging design scene and truly support and fund that potential. Within this alternative event Labelhood offers a holistic experience of fashion presentation, fashionable art exhibitions, live concerts and a super cool market selling branded Labelhood products. These guys know what they are doing. Here is a what you need to be prepared for between 12-15 of October if you are in town. 

I.

The Flocks
October 12th to October 15th
Labelhood

The Flocks are a brand that offers daily dress and accessories for young hipsters. Each season they try to capture their creative process within some experimental output- videos, photos, magazines and performance. This season their exhibition will revolve around the topic of partying. They chose to reflect on the notion of human interaction through the carpet as an object that both fixes people in their position but also liberates new forms of expression. You will see some cool interpretations on carpet like fashion objects/products and live performance to maximize the whole experience. Join the Flocks!

II.

Studio Aubruino
October 10th to October 15th, 2017
Labelhood

Studio Aubruino is a newly designed studio founded by Aubrey and Chih Chiu. Both artists attended London universities, Central Saint Martins and  Royal College of Art, respectively. They are showing their exploration of addiction. Their approach is very cool as they compare 60-70’s cyber punk to the current “Appelomania”. From the radical experimentation of back then to the minimal design approach of the iPhone which brought us technology packed in sleek conservatism. They will show the absurd and satiric side of technology and human progress, and of course, clothing.

III.

Angel Chen
October 15th, 2017 at 20:00
Labelhood

Angel Chen is probably one of China’s more curious designers. She is described as Chinese Punk, by the local press, but she could easily be credited for being globally cool. Having trained at the prestigious Central Saint Martins College in London, Angel was named as one of the “Top 5 graduate designers of the year” by i-D magazine, before going on to work for fashion houses Alexander Wang, Marchesa and Vera Wang. Now based in Shanghai, Angel Chen shows collections in London, Milan, Paris and across Asia. Last season she put up a mini quirky concert with Petite Meller and other awkwardly wonderful people to show her collection. This year, she is going back to traditional fashion presentation, though for a punk, nothing is traditional, so let’s see which subculture she going to hunt this time.

IV.

Staff Only
October 14th at 18:30
Labelhood

Staff Only is a pretty cool brand, founded by designers Wen Ya and Zhou Shimei, both studied in London and worked for renowned fashion houses, Alexander Mcqueen, Tom Ford and more. Since they founded Staff Only, these two have rocked deconstructed, radical and cutting edge reflections on the modern life uniform. Quite conceptually and sometimes humorous they challenge gender, urbanism and bring a fresh breeze to the Shanghai fashion scene. This season they are carelessly turning their models and probably us into fishermen- “Catch More Fish” inspiration images and show invite make me want to put on water resistance boots and hop in a river! 

V.

Asian Dope Boys
October 13th at 23:00

Asian Dope Boys, Tianzhou Chen's power house of music performances, parties, fashion label and platform for unique experiences are hitting Shanghai Fashion Week again. Last April they put up one of the best shows in SHFW with a radical collection presented on the coolest kids in town in collaboration with Zebra Katz. This time they are having a multitude of unique live performances. When in Shanghai, be high.

Take a tour with Hadas in Shanghai to discover more!
 

Shanghai Art Guide - July - August

- by Hadas Zucker

It’s too humid to get sentimental and probably too hot to stay out, there is no better time than Shanghai's summer to occupy museums and galleries in the city to get cooled with really powerful AC and refreshing art!

I. 
Exhibition title: Now is the summer of our discontent
Artists: Various Chinese and International artists
Venue: Bank Mabsociet Gallery
Dates: Until 9 August, 2017

Disclaimer: I show my work there, so hell ya!!! come to visit! 



Summertime sees our sentiments dilated and logic subdued by sweltering hot winds, lazy daydreams, and sweet fruit. In this exhibition they intrigued to ponder, to what extent can objects accommodate and express these seasonal sensations. BANK invites 21 artists of different generations and backgrounds to join our summer carnival. Some of these artists are exhibiting in Shanghai for the first time while others are of BANK’s usual stable. Spanning video, photography, installation, and with a focus on painting, the colors of summer come to life.

II.
Exhibition title: All the single ladies
Artists: Guo Cheng and Shen Han
Venue: J Gallery 
Dates: 29 July - 8 September, 2017


The exhibition will showcase works by Guo Cheng and Shen Han, two young Chinese artists that have studied and lived in multicultural backgrounds-  Cheng works are concerned with the impacts and influences of mainstream or new technology on the social, cultural and ethical while Shen does works which are structuring a connection between the material and perception through the act of ‘painting’. The exhibition article, written by the Li Bowen, deals with the metaphor of the pseudo-genealogical that marks the relationship between the two bodies of work.

III.
Exhibition title: Wavelength: Through things
Artists: Group exhibition of contemporary artist and designers
Venue: Times Art Museum, Beijing
Dates: 5 August - 13 August, 2017


New Consumerism is more a socially engaged act bound up in issues of sustainability and authenticity. This fashion x art group exhibition proudly presents the recent work of 18 contemporary artists and designers active in the US, Europe and China. By bringing together conceptual fashion pieces, visual arts, jewelry, sculpture and multimedia installations, the exhibition illustrates a global trend in consumerism and lifestyle - the integration of Art, Fashion and social life.

Shanghai Interview: Not deep. Dope - Tianzhou Chen

Ever since I've moved to Shanghai, the question of whether I live in a cool place has been bothering me. Shanghai is messy and vibrant. its taxi drivers have the worst manners in the world, and you can still find yourself stuck in an elevator with a dude who smokes and offering you a cigi, exactly when you come back home from a sweaty workout.

But is it cool? I couldn't be confident about saying Yes. 
However, had you visited Shanghai during its last fashion week, you'd have gotten a pretty clear answer- the party has moved here and we’re all having rice for dinner. Offsite radical venues, underground parties, experimental presentations and bad-ass hip hop artists rule the scene. It wasn’t just about fashion. It was about energy.
 

I sat down to talk to Tianzhou Chen, one of the most promising Chinese artist of his generation exhibited in Palais the Tokyo in 2015 and since then building his reputation in the global art scene.  Chen’s work transforms symbolism of buddhism to cutting edge aesthetic of the rave scene, drugs, violent kitsch, provocative gang-creatures and other after school activities we all like. He recently launched Asian Dope Boys, an experimental platform that functions as a proximity of Chen’s artistic work, under which he curates dope parties, nihilist music events and a radical fashion collection.

We talked about beer, money, art collectors, fashion and the definition of cool. Was too fun, and too long. Here is a recap.

Pic: Hadas Zucker

Hadas Zucker (HZ): Let’s start with a cliche.- where does your fashion inspiration comee from? how does it relate to your artwork?

Tianzhou Chen (TC): Well, it doesn’t really. My inspiration for the fashion line is pretty random. it’s not meaningful, it's just clothes, I love it. I make a lot of complex meaningful art works, so for me it’s great just to make something fun. If anything, it might be influenced by music, which has a huge impact on my visual world, alternative, experimental hip hop is something I listen to on a daily basis.

HZ: This is why you launched A.D.B? 

TC: Yes, exactly. we named it after a Japanese girls band called A.K.B 48. we started doing parties, inviting D.J’s and performers we discovered and who had never been to china, for example most recently Karma She. I use my art career to support the A.D.B experimental adventures.

HZ: Your fashion presentation was in a dark, smoky basement hall, part of Labelhood an alternative fashion venue. A mix of maximalist aesthetics, super dense energy, experimental costumes and a gang of radical Chinese kids. How do you feel about this new youth culture ?

TC: I thinks it’s great, I feel that thanks to social media this new generation is much more connected to what happens globally. They have more knowledge on what happens out there, but the performance scene is still quite young here, and not very mature. For me it is at least, they still really sounds the same, missing something special and outstanding like Zebra Ktaz which we just brought to SFHW.

HZ: You use a lot of grotesque textures and prints, deconstructed shapes, hyper saturated colors, and symbolism both in fashion and you art work, what is your take on bad taste ?

TC: I’m not trying to be bad taste, it is just that i have a very different sense of what is wearable or fashionable. I don't like to think of the market, though fashion is commercial. I think in Europe it will be understood better and we are now working on distributing there.

Pic: Ka Xiaoxi

HZ: Do you care who wears you clothes?

TC: Yes. I want good looking people to wear my clothes. And cool ones.

HZ: Is it the same for your art work? do you care who buys it?

TC: Yhe, of course, i want cool collectors to have my work, but it could also sometimes end up in a crappy hotel, in that case, haha you just don’t tell anyone about it.

HZ: what is your daily routine?

TC: I’m not one of this hard working artists, I’m not working every day. I drink everyday. Mostly beer.

Header Image: Pic- Ka Xiaoxi

‏Shanghai Art Guide - May

‏I.
Exhibition Title: Reconfiguration
‏Artist: Patty chang
‏Venue: Bank Mabsociety gallery
‏Dates: May 13- July 2, 2017

Patty Chang's early video works have depicted a horrifying, yet comforting experiences of fear, passion and conflict. Eating an onion while french kissing your parents, or uniting with an eel crawling under her button down shirt, are just two of the provocative and poetic expressions of Freudian anxieties we all kinda share. This has made her one of the “most consistently exciting artist of her time”. The current show is a lecture/performance based on the artist’s travels along the South-North Water Diversion Project, from its beginning at Danjiankou to the final reservoir in the outskirts of Beijing.

II.
‏Exhibition Title: Solo show
‏Artist: Julian Opie
‏Venue: Fosun foundation
‏Dates: Until June 10, 2017

Cause if there is a blockbuster in town you gotta go see it!

‏III.
Exhibition title: Where the end starts
‏Artist: Kwas
‏Venue: Yuz Museum
‏Dates: Until August 13, 2017

Kwas does everything that is hype from graffiti to illustration to Popart to f*ckng collaborating with Uniqlo. Can’t get more commercial than that, and Shanghai seems to be the perfect fit for it!
‏(oh don't forget to catch a DJ set at a speakeasy place after, and instagram all of it under "#hipsters don't die, they just get too predictable")

Get A life Vivienne Westwood exhibition at K11 Museum

 I grew up in a small, provincial town in Israel, and when I turned 10, the first shopping mall was opened in the city center. Though I was young, I already understood that it was the first step towards what I like to refer to as the “beginning of the end”. Ever since, this small town’s urban developments have started to move in the same direction as that of the notorious shopping center. Naturally, the same thing happened to all mega cities, medium sized towns and urban hubs globally.  Everyone and everything started to mobilize itself around one thing: consumption.
 
In my last 5 years living in Shanghai, I unfortunately got used to the concept of shopping malls. I even visited some of them out of my own free will a couple of times—mostly due to extreme weather conditions—and I must admit, I started to become slightly fond of them.  Soft music,  smooth escalators, temperature control; they all became a break away from Shanghai’s hectic streets. As my boyfriend would say “the transformation is complete, you are a true Asian”. So on a rainy cold winter day, I went to check out Vivienne Westwood’s exhibition Get a Life in K11 Art Mall Museum.  

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When consumption became a part of culture, it was almost inevitable that culture would mirror consumption. The second step in the “beginning of the end” is manifested through the soft power of real estate developers implementing “creative concepts” in luxury shopping malls and commercial centers. Hence, creating “cultural experiences” within a maze of endless shopping arcades designed only to make you forget that there is an actual world out there so that you can spend all of your monthly salary on unnecessary, but oh-so-beautiful designer shit you don't need. K11’s concept is all about that.
 
The high-end art mall concept facilitates a blend of shopping and art—which actually means that they got tax reduction, and we get crappy art in return.
 
The K in K11 stands for Kingdom, “a shopping mall kingdom” which derives from the group’s chairman and his childhood dream of having his own kingdom—and indeed, in mega-capitalist-non-democratic-Asia, shopping malls have had more influence than the state. In this political climate, when as a citizen you cannot vote or elect a ruling candidate or party, the only way one can practice his opinions, decision making and rights is through his credit card.
 
Promising the blend of art and fashion, K11 mall is able to do so by dedicating designated spaces in the mall for decorative art works like benches, sculptures and some interactive corners; while at the same time running a foundation that sponsors art initiatives, workshops and exhibitions. The large exhibition space, K11 Museum is located, on the lowest floor of the building (where else?) and can be easily used as a bunker in case North Korea decides to fight capitalism. Most art shows and activities take place there and change every 3 months.

Get a Life, by Vivienne Westwood is “a fusion of art and fashion, through the lens of activism” and that is exactly its main problem. Westwood’s moral, socio-political “topics worth fighting for” change according to the seasons. 2014 was the year of climate change, now, the hot topic is refugees. Leave African women  aside—their saggy handmade bags and micro financing is so 2012.

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The show unveils themed collection campaigns from climate change to over-consumption: Saving The Rainforests, Mirroring The World or Intellectuals Unite. You’ve got to give credit to the marketing department of Vivienne Westwood and without a doubt, the designer herself (who actually looks like a pretty cool, opinionated woman). It is a great opportunity to see vibrant, bad-ass immigrant inspired images taken by Jurgen Teller for her latest campaign, as well as a few other samples from past collections. Especially the one dedicated to the House of Worth, the Englishman who invented the concept of Haute couture back in 19th century France.

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The room next to Westwood’s show presents a group exhibition, Monument of the Peach Blossom Valley, which tries to underpin the activist spirit of Get a Life from a Chinese perspective.

Here again, in a slightly more humble or submissive manner, artists express their concern for humanity and its relationship with nature. The only concern I had was, what the hell is the connection between those two shows? There were a few interesting, emerging young Chinese artists like Yu Honglei and Zhang Rui whose works are typically visually and intellectually stimulating, however, in this almost random curatorial context it was impossible to be impressed or intrigued. 

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Wu Junyong, Flying Ark

These two exhibitions somehow mirror each other, in my opinion. They got me thinking that maybe I am traditionalist or old fashioned; but perhaps there are things that don’t blend—art and shopping, fashion and activism, capitalist-consumerism and moral-political campaigns.
To quote Guy Debord from The Society of The Spectacle: “In societies dominated by modern conditions of production, life is presented as an immense accumulation of spectacles. Everything that was directly lived has receded into a representation.”
 
I came down to the K11 mall again to write this post and sat down in a high-end cafeteria concept cafe (like everything in the high-end era we live in), situated in the ground floor of the shopping mall. During my stay, a homeless man came to sit at a table next to me.

At first, I didn't notice from his appearance that he was homeless, but the strong scent coming from him disclosed it immediately. He was wearing a heavy wool jacket suit and a vintage Christmas sweater underneath. He used a rope to tie up his pants closer to his waist. He sat down holding an old chewy piece of meat and started talking to himself. I couldn't stop thinking he could have been such a great art performance to Mrs. Westwood’s exhibition, if only it was the season of "raising awareness to the crisis of homelessness in future cities", oh but wait, that was so 2015.

- by Hadas Zucker