Through The Looking Glass & Tom Ford Expands

China: Through the Looking Glass

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York has announced at a preview exhibition in Beijing the new spring exhibition “China: Through the Looking Glass”. The exhibition which runs from May 7 to Aug 16 will feature 130 fashion pieces combined with traditional art works in jade and porcelain alongside film works, which will include famed Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar Wai. Among the items at the preview in Beijing was a Chinese porcelain inspired dress created by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel in 1985 and a Tom Ford creation for Yves Saint Laurent that was inspired by the last Chinese Emperor Puyi’s dragon robe.

Tom Ford Expands

American designer Tom Ford has announced an aggressive expansion with the designer planning to have a total of 104 stores, including 46 freestanding locations and 58 shops-in-shop, by the end of the year. New stores are set to open in Dubai and Jeddah in March, Houston in September, with Miami and Atlanta to follow later in the year. Speaking about the growth Tom Ford said that some stores in China would be closed whilst others would be opened in better locations, noting that the company was in a stronger position in terms of sale and brand recognition to more successfully work in Asia.

Martin No More

Maison Martin Margiela is no more, with the brand now known as Maison Margiela, dropping the first name of its eponymous founder and now retired designer. A spokesman for Maison Margiela speaking to the New York Times said the name reflected the ‘...evolution of the house’ and applied to the brand as a whole. The name change coincided with John Galliano’s debut couture collection for the house, and in keeping with the obscure nature of the brand made no official announcement was made.

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