Tag Archives: The Invisible Man

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Artist Liu Bolin x Ruinart Champagne at Frieze

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjQKx-H1Dic

Known as The Invisible Man, Chinese artist Liu Bolin is collaborating with France’s oldest champagne house Ruinart at this year’s Frieze New York. This moniker came about when his office was demolished and he created the almost perfectly seamless blending-in of himself into photo as a protest. He wanted to demonstrate the coexisting relationship between construction and humanity — a concept that also appealed to the champagne magnate. In his final eight pieces with Ruinart, Bolin elegantly illustrates the meticulous process of champagne-making by masking himself and the workers of the house into the landscape of the everyday champagne production. We sat down with the artist at Frieze to find out more about the collaboration.

Angelika Pokovba: How did you go about choosing Ruinart to collaborate with?

Liu Bolin: (per translator) For me it was important to know about the company. When I had communication exchanges with the team I felt their passion about their work, their company’s culture, and I focused on reflecting this aspect in the artwork.

AP: Did the idea to incorporate yourself into the “landscape” come naturally, or did you set out looking for backdrops to blend into?

LB: Before I came into it I didn’t actually have something in mind. It was not very clear. After I walked around the premises and I learned about the entire production process from the beginning to the end including production, storage, filtering, etc., I found it to be a beautiful process and I wanted to record this beauty.

(Each of the shots demonstrates a different part of the champagne making process. )

AP: Would you elaborate of how you actually made these pieces and how many people were involved?

LB: The first photo is at the winery and I invited Frederique, who is the production/technology expert. He is someone that would have a record of when the grapes were first collected and then the weather, the temperature, all of these things… He is someone who has the control from the first steps. So he is the first photo. That first photo is related to the source of production and I also included him in others so that he is involved in the entire process from the beginning until the end.

AP: What do you believe you accomplished with these pieces? 

LB: That touches on the core of my artwork. I think that all artists do these things and have a discovery of certain issues and questions. Through the collaboration with Ruinart, I feel that I have deepened my understanding of the winery culture and of European culture. From my collaboration and communication with these people who are very clearly passionate about wine and the heritage of this company, that has really touched me and made me more deeply appreciate the European craftsmanship– what kind of effort their are willing to go through to create such a brand and such a heritage. This is something that also helped me and gave me nutrients for my work.

As an artist I like to keep challenging myself in my work. Regrettably the public has acknowledged and liked the photos so far, but not the other things I have done. I think I will put more effort for my other forms of art to be liked as well.

Find Liu Bolin’s pieces at the Ruinart Champagne Lounge at Frieze until May 6th. 

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Photos: Courtesy of Ruinart.

 

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For Chinese Menswear Brand Bosideng, Subtlety is a Drink Best Served Blended

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In August of this past year, the narrative rights of author Kevin Kwan’s debut novel, “Crazy Rich Asians,” were purchased by Hollywood production agency Color Force within only two months of its official release. A move, perhaps slightly less ostentatious than the story that it tells. Wrapped in cultural innuendos and notes on couture, the book glossily catalogs the impressive, if not greater-than-Gossip-Girl life sense of luxury expanse and designer extravagance that satiated walk-in closets and red oak armoires in most of mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and other nearby Chinese-populated nouveau riche communities in the 90’s and early millennium  years.

From Gucci to Goyard and Prada to Pucci it seemed there was no cessation to the potency of the logo in the largest market in the high-end fashion sector, which, by the way has been largely dominated by men. While this Escada-embossed dome that wealthy Asian shoppers so lustrously built did very well exist—and thanks to the team behind The Hunger Games will again on silver screen near you soon—according to English-inspired Chinese menswear brand Bosideng, there is a growing passageway out.

“In China there is a new movement that is definitely happening. People are not running to logos anymore, it’s much more about style,” says the company’s Design Director Amelia Pretious. “Men are picking quality over a printed tee shirt with a big name. In particular, the younger generation is looking at things in a new, contemporary way.”

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Bosideng Design Director Amelia Pretious

Like the other fashion houses Kwan describes in his novel, Bosideng lives in the realm of the high-end luxury variety, but while international, it is certainly unimposing in its style; focusing on the subtle cues of its mixed heritage instead of trying to squeeze into flash trends that pervade the market.

“Menswear is changing so much that men want to be more individual. Of course [Bosideng] has elements of branding, such as our name on our buttons, but in terms of splashing our name across everything, that’s just not us,” said Pretious.

Established in The People’s Republic of China in 1976, the fashion label is proud of it itself, proud of its homeland, and prouder to be the first global brand of its kind. “Every collection looks back to China, it is such a huge source of inspiration” smiles the designer, where it houses over 12,000 retail locations.

Creative insight ranges from matters of tradition—for Bosideng’s Autumn/Winter 2014 season the horse zodiac is a motif that races through the collection—to ideas less concrete, still developing. For researching the same collection, reflective of the country’s ever-evolving creative climate, the brand explored elements of China’s contemporary art scene, taking inspiration from Liu Bolin (“The Invisible Man”) and The Power Station of Art in Shanghai. Rich in stimuli these ideas were then rendered to completion through English technique, the other half of the brand’s brain. While China is very much the home to Bosideng, London—the headquarters for the design team and site of the company’s first European flagship—is where it really gets interesting.

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Pretious headed the design team for luxury Scottish brand Crombie before starting Bosideng London almost a year ago, and brought with her a strong knowledge of outerwear and textiles. While the designer’s appointment made sense at the time considering Bosideng’s foundation is its down wear (a range of beautiful pieces that look almost as great as they feel to wear), it is Pretious’ steadied and surprising re-imagination of Chinese impetus and English craftsmanship now (and then back and forth, and then back and forth), that is far more important.

Like a poetic phrase one gets from translating two foreign languages too far, what results from Bosideng’s cultural interplay is almost a beautiful accident—if it weren’t so smartly executed. For F/W14, the icon of the horse (taken from Chinese calendar) was matched with the British’s love for equestrians: groups of leather accessories and jockey trainers quickly became reoccurring members of the collection’s cast, an illustration of Bolin was commissioned and printed onto a graphic tee, and through intricate placing of delicate Chinese lace a camouflage print was formed. Images of heritage became sporty, smart notes of contemporary flair.

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Together these elements were used to tear apart the constructs of normal sportswear and formal suiting. “The idea was to mix things up. We looked at the heritage of the brand and translated it into a contemporary way,” said Pretious after the collection’s first unveiling at New York Fashion Week last week. Almost ironically, the presentation, sandwiched between with an on-going pop-up shop at men’s specialty store Rothmans, hints that the forthcoming American retail debut of Bosideng will be a big, subtle bang.

Images courtesy of Bosideng and headshot by Ernie Green.

David Hart FW142

The Inspiration Behind New York Men’s Day

Listen up men of New York: in case you haven’t heard, we’ve finally been given a day for ourselves. This Wednesday, February 5th, marks the inaugural launch of Agentry PR’s New York Men’s Day, a bi-annual presentation of the best and brightest in US menswear, presented by Cadillac and held at Industria Studios. While it’s no LC:M, it is certainly progress. This season the roster includes a mix of seven talented designer that range in style as much as one might expect. Luckily, we got the low-down on each of their varying inspirations.

David Hart FW142
David Hart

“This season I was inspired by the classic television series The Twilight Zone by Rod Serling. I was interested in how television made its way into every home in America as a new medium, and the impact it had on society. I also thought of this in relation to how smart phones have affected our generation [today]. There is texture and ‘static’ in the majority of the textiles I developed this season, and it runs throughout the entire collection. For the color palette, I took inspiration from photographs by photographer Alex Prager, because of the artist’s ability to capture moods of tension, suspense, isolation, and sadness in a flat colorful image…it’s the modern day version of film noir.” – David Hart, Founder and Designer

Bosideng

Bosideng

“This season we looked at the juxtaposition of modern sartorial style and Chinese traditions: from the artist The Invisible Man, films like In The Mood for Love, and the year of the horse.” – Amelia Pretious, Design Director

Antonio

a.a. antonio azzuolo

“The collection is a reflection of a journey – the journey from one decade to another, from the cities we visit and live in, to the people we meet that inspire our being and work. A journey from childhood to adulthood and beyond; it is a simple quest to do the work we love and perfect one’s trade. This is a tribute to that journey and an homage to its players.” – Antonio Azzuolo, Founder and Designer

Lucio Castro FW142

Lucio Castro

“The Fall/Winter 2014 collection is inspired by the spirit of Andre Gide’s 1902 novel L’immoraliste. It contains a refined mood that lies in tension with an impending sense of freedom. Familiar silhouettes are revisited in innovative fabrics. The clothes are introspective yet quietly alluring.” – Lucio Castro, Founder and Designer

Ernest Alexander FW142

Ernest Alexander

“Ernest Alexander’s Fall/Winter 2014 collection’s inspiration came from early American motorcycle racers of the 1920’s and 1930’s. The colors we chose were a reflection of the environment of that period and the people who defined the era.” – Ernest Sabine, Founder and Creative Director

 

Carlos Campos AW142

Carlos Campos

“The [new] collection centers around the theme of the ‘Gaucho,’ or cowboy, and is about this spirit of self-reliance, camaraderie, and being one with nature.” – Carlos Campos, Founder and Designer

Bespoken FW14 - Photo Credit to Harley Cortez2

Bespoken

“[We] collaborated with Harley Cortez to develop some great images that gave a lot of life to the collection. Downtown New York meets the London East End.” -Sammy and Liam Fayed, Co-Founders and Designers

Images courtesy of each respective brand.