Shanghai Daily news

Two showings in Shanghai illustrate the best of Western fashion in two disparate forms. Zhao Feifei previews a retrospective exhibition of the skirts of Prada and a display of the glassware of Lalique.
As Shanghai's reputation in the international fashion world grows, fashion houses are beginning to present exhibitions in the city to target a wider group of potential buyers including -- if you agree fashion is an art form -- local art lovers.
The first is ``Waist Down,'' a retrospective exhibition devoted to the skirts of Italian fashion genius Miuccia Prada, which opens next week in the historic Peace Hotel on the Bund.
The exhibition is designed to show off the art and creativity of Prada by highlighting the concepts, techniques and craftsmanship that goes into her skirts.
A variety of installations displaying Prada's skirts, selected from her vast collection of creations dating back to 1988, will be installed in the usual spaces that attract Peace Hotel guests -- the ground floor lobby and the three International Suites on the 7th floor.
While the installations in the lobby -- a public passage way -- will show enlarged images of Prada skirts, those in the suites -- more private spaces -- will show real skirts.
In the lobby, 40 giant mannequins wearing different skirts in chronological order from 1988 will be installed. In the suites on the 7th floor, more than 90 skirts will be installed in different presentations.
The exhibition will also have a spin-off photographic display in Prada's store and in the ground floor lobby of Plaza 66 on Nanjing Road W.
The exhibition is being curated by a company named AMO, which is under the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) based in the Netherlands.
Johanna Luhmann, from AMO, says that the exhibition was conceived out of a desire to illustrate the exciting design aspects of the skirt which are often overlooked because of the familiarity of the skirt and to communicate this to as wide an audience as possible.
``We want to draw the attention of visitors to the fact that a number of inventions have actually occurred in the design of the skirt. As a `vehicle of movements,' the skirt has inspired designers as well as the women who wear them,'' she says.
Prada's ``Skirt Roadshow'' kicked off in Tokyo last month and will move on to Europe and the United States after its Shanghai visit.
The brand Prada was founded in 1913 in Milan as a manufacturer of leather bags. Prada's fame today is mostly due to the work of the founder's grand-daughter, Miuccia Prada.
Miuccia Prada was born in 1949. After university, she entered the family business and soon revolutionized the appearance of its products. Her interest in unusual fabrics led to the distinctive trademark of Prada products. She is known for using a specific material in an unusual context.
Joining Prada in displaying high-fashion designs is French glassmaker Lalique which is showcasing the wonders of glass through a display of the company's finest creations at Plaza 66.
Glass has been a favorite subject for painters eager to explore its qualities of transparency, color and light. Poets have been intrigued about the similarities between glass and water.
The exhibition reveals designer Rene Lalique's passion for nature, magical flora, mythical fauna and allegorical themes.
There are bowls, vases, stemware, pendants and art deco glasses in the line-up. In the ``Abundance Bowl,'' an exquisitely chiseled diamond-cut flower heart is in the center of the bowl and highlights the luxury of the design. The ``Elfes Vase'' has been delicately mouth blown into shape.
The most magnificent piece in the exhibition is a organza wedding dress designed by Celestina Agostino. She designed it exclusively for Lalique. It is inlaid with flower petals and ostrich feathers. And more importantly the dress is enhanced by a low waist belt in Lalique crystal: four ranks of ``Eclat'' crystal embroidered on the satin. The 92 crystals are set in sterling silver and the dress retails for 298,000 yuan (US$36,300).
Lalique's legacy can be traced back to the 19th century. Rene Jules Lalique was born in 1860 in a village in the French countryside. He studied jewelry design and made his name, first by designing stage jewelry for the world-famous actress Sarah Bernhardt.
He also created pieces for Siegfried Bing's Maison de l'Art Nouveau, the Paris shop that gave its name to the Art Nouveau movement of the early 20th century. Lalique has been hailed as the founder of the new school of modern jewelry design.
In 1909, Lalique began to experiment with glass manufacturing techniques, applying technology from French wine and pharmaceutical industries. He incorporated glass into his jewelry. Today, Lalique is a luxury product company which makes watches, jewelry, crystal, barware and stemware, interior design articles, and porcelain.

Prada Skirt Roadshow
Date: May 18-31, 10am-10pm
Venue: Peace Hotel, 20 Nanjing Rd. E.
Admission: Call 6267-7906 for free tickets

Lalique Glassware Exhibition
Date: through May 24, 10am-10pm
Venue: Lobby of Plaza 66, 1266 Nanjing Rd W.
Admission: Free
Tel: 3210-4566