Chanel Mobile Art installation

In 1955 Madame Coco Chanel launched the iconic, quilted ‘it’ bag 2.55. Now, fifty-three years later, Chanel have decided to make the bag the center of attention once again, namely the center of a traveling exhibition entitled Chanel Mobile Art. Twenty international contemporary artists have reinterpreted the classic Chanel hand bag and designed everything from a gold quilted guitar-shaped shoulder bag to a giant 2.55 lying thrown on the floor. The exhibition opened in Hong Kong in a futuristic, curved glass pavillion designed by Zaha Hadid, which was the first stop of a two-year world tour, where the artists have smoothened the fine lines between fashion design and art. “We don’t need art, but we cannot live without it,” said Karl Lagerfeld at the opening of Chanel’s Mobile Art pavilion in New York City’s Central Park. The exhibition will move on to cities like London, Moscow and Paris.

Our friends over at Canvas Gallery and Boutique were just telling us yesterday about their latest trip to Tokyo and how fabulous the new Niel Barrett flagship store was so I felt it my responsibility to do some research and uncover the magic of this new space designed by the genius group of Zaha Hadid Architects.

Principle
Our concept for the Neil Barrett flagship store in Tokyo is based on the minimal cut of the brand`s fashion design and parallels its approach in using the same design parameters of fixed points, folding, pleating and cut outs.
Rather than defining a single room or space, our design creates a circular passage allowing the customer to experience the space in multiple ways and interpretations.
Furniture staged in key points throughout the store creates the spatial concept of a narrow enclosure changing to an open condition. In two formal elements the design shifts between architecture and sculpture, where a compact mass of surface layers unravel and fold to form the shelving display and seating. The emerging folds will be used as display area for the NB accessory collection.

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Architect Zaha Hadid is the latest creative to collaborate with famous Brazilian plastic shoe brand Melissa. Hadid’s design was revealed exclusively at London Fashion Week this autumn. Not surprisingly, her £200 special edition is as sculptural and moulded as her buildings. And as exclusive – the shoes are only available at London’s Dover Street Market.