PRADA SS11 BEIJING SHOW /

JAN '11

RECONSTITUTING A BRAND IDENTITY TO ACCOMMODATE THE DEMANDS OF CHANGING CONSUMER MARKETS;  A SHIFT IN GLOBAL ECONOMIC POWER PRODUCING THE RETHINKING (AND REDESIGN) OF CONTEMPORARY EUROCENTRED FASHION SYSTEMS. 

A YEAR AFTER THE SINO-GENERATED CAMPAIGN VISUALS OF SS10, PRADA RETURN TO CHINA TO CEMENT THEIR RETAIL PRESENCE BY RE-STAGING A LOOSE CONSOLIDATION OF THEIR SS11 MENS  & WOMENS READY-T0-WEAR COLLECTIONS, WITH THE ADDITION OF SEVERAL PIECES EXCLUSIVE TO THE BEIJING SHOW.  2010 ALSO SAW THE WELL-DUE BREAKTHROUGH AND INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS OF A SURGE OF ASIAN MODELS, MOST OF WHOM APPEAR IN THE RE-STAGED SHOW, REFLECTING THE CONTINUED COMMITMENT OF THE BRAND TO ADAPT AND TRANSLATE ITS SINGULAR VISION TO THE TRANSFORMING MAKE-UP OF GLOBAL CONSUMER IDENTITY.    

THIS ALSO FOLLOWS A RECORD 31% SURGE IN REVENUE FOR THE PRADA GROUP LAST YEAR, DEFYING THE PESSIMISTIC PROJECTIONS OF ANALYSTS DURING RECESSION  AND THE "WORST ECONOMIC SLUMP IN DECADES" FOR THE LUXURY GOODS SECTOR (HULMES [REUTERS], 2011).  HAVING GIVEN THE ALL-CLEAR FOR AN INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING ON THE HONG-KONG MARKET SET FOR JUNE/JULY THIS YEAR, THE PRADA GROUP WILL BE LISTING APPROXIMATELY 15-20% OF THE GROUP ON THE HONG KONG STOCK EXCHANGE (JUCCA [REUTERS], FEB 2011) - ENTICING A TREND (IN TRUE PRADA FASHION) AMONG INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS TO FLOCK TO HONG KONG RATHER THAN NEW YORK, LONDON OR MILAN TO LIST PUBLIC SHARES (COOKSON [FINANCIAL TIMES], FEB 2011). 

PRADA "FIRST SPRING" vs. CHANEL PARIS-SHANGHAI "A FANTASY"

brilliant fashion film in my opinion.  though i might just be saying that because i'm still reeling from the disaster that is Chanel Paris-Shanghai.  china is portrayed as both very traditional but also very modern and a surreal place of any possibilities.  the 'foreign travelers' are just as exoticised as their environment, and chinese models/actors are used to play chinese people.  well of course that would be the case anyway, but not for Karl's film where european models are clearly in yellowface.  yes why don't we get the video up:

this is only the second part (the rest can be viewed on the youtube user's channel or in full on www.chanel-paris-shanghai.com).  1.25 - 1.32 is just pure orientalism.  2.40 - 2.45 = LOL.


the same inspiration in both cases but one is internally generated, the other externally.  different executions and the results speak for themselves.

PRADA SPRING 2010 // YANG FUDONG

no doubt in my mind that i'm liking this a lot more than Chanel Paris-Shanghai.  Lagerfeld is out of touch in his ivory tower.

chinese artist Yang Fudong was invited to shoot Prada's spring collection as well as direct a short film available on their website.  will watch and review asap.