Sean Soong's SubWars

I discovered today the work of Sean Soong, student at the Communication University of China.

His latest work is a 5 minutes video mixing several obvious inspirations featuring the story of an old man whom cannot find an available seat in the subway. 

I personally enjoyed a lot the aesthetic of the video. As for the content...Pure black humor or social satire? I let you make your own opinion.

Sean Soong
http://seansoong.diandian.com/
http://seansoong.deviantart.com/

Van Cleef & Arpels - "Timeless Beauty"

May 19^th was the day Van Cleef & Arpels chose to organize their black tie cocktail accompanying the launch of the sumptuous exhibition “Timeless Beauty”, spanning over 100 years of history. The exhibition is running from May 20 to July 15 in the Museum of Contemporary Art of Shanghai covering the two first floors for a total of 1200sq. meter space right in the heart of People’s Square. I was pleased to be invited to the preview cocktail.

The French Maison, created at the end of the nineteenth century by Charles Arpels and Afred Van Cleef,  is well known for its innovative masterpieces and by its broad scope of inspirations. For instance nature has always been a major theme for. Fascinated by the never-ending transformation of the fauna and flora, the jewelers designed numerous delicate flowers, blossoms and animals, real or imaginary bringing vitality and poetry to the creations of the brand since the 1920s.

Feuille Mysterieuse 2006
diamonds, rubies, 

Bird of Paradise 1927
Platinum, Diamonds

Bird Cage 1935
Enamel, agate, rubies, gold, sapphire, coral, 

Mystery Set Flowers 1937
Platinum, gold, rubies, diamonds

Other major inspirations of the Maison have always been oriental cultures.  Van Cleef & Arpels counts numerous of masterpieces with Indian influences, Egyptian, Syrian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai,  etc. “Timeless Beauty” features some of them matching their original sketches that the guests could admire that night while enjoying a glass of Perrier Jouet.

Indian Inspiration Necklace 1971
Gold, carved emeralds, diamonds

Chinese Hat 1931
Gold

Chinese Hat

Another big theme is femininity.

Femininity, elegance and refinement… aesthetic values that have always been at the heart of Can Cleef & Arpels. The Maison has become the favorite of the most beautiful women and have adorned them on mythical occasions (coronations, engagements, weddings, etc.). Among them, numerous of famous figures such as Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Grace of Monaco, Princess Fawzia of Egypt, Catherine Deneuve, etc…

Other incredible yet decadent pieces.

Farah Diba 1967
1541 stones including 1469 diamonds, 36 emeralds, 36 rubies,  105 pearls

Zip Necklace 1951
Yellow gold

On a personal point of view, I have been absolutely dazzled by “Timeless Beauty” and really impressed by the production of the displays. It is incredibly well done, sometimes really creative with the use of 3D effects, videos, noises, lighten tubular structures and bubbles; esthetically matching perfectly the essence of the brand. The flow of the event itself was flawless and well carried out. Many celebrities, actors, political figures and socialites from both countries showed up that night. The French Consul General Emmanuel Lenain honored us of his presence as well as former Prime Minister Jean Pierre Raffarin and Minister Jean Louis Borloo. On the Chinese side Fan Bing Bing, Gong Li came as well as Zhang Jingchu, Tong Dawei, Wang Xueqi, Song Jia, Qin Lan, Pace Wu and few others.

By far the most impressive and creative exhibition I ever saw in MOCA and probably as good as the retrospective Cartier did in the Forbidden City in 2009.

http://www.mocashanghai.org/

20th May to 15th July 2012

Accidental Hipsters in China

For anyone whom has been living, travelling or just passing by China the greatest thing about the country would definitely be the people...and more specifically how some of them dress up. China is known for its phenomenal culture, its historical background, its habits and customs and its typical outfits that the current generations seem to have forgotten (or simply not really care about).

For anyone whom has been living, travelling or just passing by China, you must have bumped into what some people call the Accidental Hipsters. They are usually middle-aged or retired people wearing random and improbable outfits that could actually be considered as awesomely trendy/arty/hipstery/ in other societies.  

I discovered today that a someone designed a Tumblr on this topic where he (or she) gathers pictures of random people wearing crazy outfits wandering the streets. 

My selection below. 

An friend of mine also depicts the local fashion trends on his blog in a more anthropological manner. Indeed Timothy Parent created http://chinesepeoplehavenostyle.com/ a couple years ago and has been studying the different manifestation of style and fashion in China. More info...just clic on the link :)

Socialist Hollande wins French election

I found this hilarious video this morning on Youtube.

--

"Francois Hollande was elected president of France in the 2012 French presidential election last Sunday, becoming France's first Socialist president in 17 years. Hollande defeated incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy on promises to reassess austerity deals aimed at solving Europe's financial crisis in favor of pro-growth remedies, and to increase taxes for the rich." 

Vintage Shanghai

I just found on the web this footage of Shanghai shot in the late 1940s. I found the aesthetic of those images particularly appealing and touching. It is also funny to realize that some of the places like the Bund haven't changed at all in over 60 years. 

125 Years of Italian Magnificence

After traveling through Rome in 2009, Paris in 2010 and Beijing in 2011, Bvlgari's 125 Years of Italian Magnificence settles in Shanghai and gives everyone the opportunity to discover over 600 pieces of jewelry made since the end of the 19th century.

Yesterday night was the date Bvlgari chose to throw the exhibition's kick-off, gathering for the occasion media, celebrities, socialites, art and jewel enthusiasts. The event took place in Pudong's Aurora Museum where the space was divided in two. One for the exhibition covering 3 floors and the other one for the after party.

The exhibition itself is displayed in a modern yet cosy atmosphere and gathers over 600 pieces including Elisabeth Taylor's private collection. The exhibition also features jewels wore by Claudia Cardinale, Grace de Monaco, etc.

Bvlgari picked a Chinese city for the second year in a row to welcome its exhibition. I regard this is as a clear sign of China's growing interest in luxury. Brands such as Bvlgari do not hesitate to invest a lot to raise their brand awareness by organizing cultural events which is indeed an excellent way to convey the brands spirit and educate its values. Therefore, many VIPs have been flew over to Shanghai to attend the event such as Nicola Bvlgari, Kirsten Dunst, the actress Maggie Cheung, the popstar FanFanWeiQi, etc.

In a few words: a great event, a lot of beautiful things, a lot of champagne, the biggest backdrop I have ever seen (something like 8 meters high...) and surprising bottles of San Pellegrino

Bvlgari - 125 years of Italian Magnificence
February 17, 2012 to April 17, 2012
Aurora Museum, Shanghai
Closed on Mondays

The Asian Squat

Many travelers are often surprised by this phenomenon when first coming to Asia.

This is not a legend nor an urban/rural myth. Asians do squat in a different manner than Westerners and they do so pretty much everywhere while queuing, waiting for the bus, while eating, reading their newspaper, etc.  

I witness this every day but one question remains: Why do Asian fellows squat this way?

This video is thoroughly explaining everything one's gotta know about the Asian Squat.

Now here comes the awkward question: are you a squat adept yourself?