Bottega Veneta constructs ‘invisible' pop-up in Shanghai
Conceived by creative director Daniel Lee, the three metre-high, 100 sq m mirrored cuboid continues Bottega Veneta’s subversive denouncement of self-promotion
By any yardstick, brand visibility is the touchstone of every sensible marketing strategy – even more so during these virus-laced days which have resulted in plunging global retail revenues.
Bottega Veneta, however, has long taken a contrarian approach, eschewing both flash and even a quotidian logo in favour of an understated almost opaque mood. And if its current pop-up installation slash boutique in Shanghai is anything to go by, the leather specialist is determined to literally amp up that opacity.
Conceived specifically for Plaza 66 under the watchful eye of Bottega Veneta’s laureled creative director, Daniel Lee, the three metre high, 100 sq m cuboid is clad entirely in mirrors, its sheer surface effectively camouflaged by the seamless reflection of the atrium’s panoramic landscape of tent-pole luxury-brand tenants.
RELATED STORY
Where other brands fight for space and visibility, Bottega Veneta gives them the opportunity, with the Invisible Store, to reflect their logos on the pop-up, an arch self-aware meta gesture. This pop-up subverts the idea of perception, the tension between the seen and unseen and gives visibilty a new spin.
The tension is particularly evident inside the pop-up where the volume of white-on-white surfaces and mirrors, toying with light and space in a journey of optical illusion, dizzyingly displays choice pieces from Bottega’s pre-Fall 2020 men’s and women’s collections of bags, small leather goods, shoes, jewellery, eyewear and prêt-à-porter.
INFORMATION
Until 19 July 2020. bottegaveneta.com
ADDRESS
Plaza 66
1266 Nanjing West Road
Jing An District
Shanghai, China
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Fashionable Christmas baubles to accessorise this year’s tree, from Bottega Veneta to Loewe
Selected by the Wallpaper* style team, a gleaming array of Christmas baubles for fashion fans featuring fantastical designs from Bottega Veneta, Loewe, Prada and more
By Jack Moss Published
-
Discover South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island: food, fun and beachside bliss
With natural splendour and a balmy, subtropical climate, Hilton Head Island beckons beach-goers, gourmets and golf fans alike
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
A look inside the home of George Homsey, one of the fathers of pioneering California modernist community Sea Ranch
George Homsey's home opens for the first time since his death, in 2019; see where the architect behind some of the designs for Sea Ranch, the pioneering California modernist community, lived
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
ENG Shanghai: Minority Report-inspired retail for the Gen Z mind
ENG Shanghai opens its second luxury fashion concept store aimed at Gen Z customers, inside the city’s TX Mall, featuring artworks by Carlos Saez, robotic arms and cyborg-like mannequins
By Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
Ripple effect: Trongyee’s undulating Shantou boutique
Shenzen-based firm AD Architecture has conceived a rippling, pared-back retail design for Shantou, China-located luxury womenswear boutique Trongyee
By Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
The China List: Chanel, Fashion
Wallpaper* and China’s Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development Fund (CHSDF) present China By Design—a celebration of Chinese cultural heritage and the many global creatives who have been inspired by it. Explore the full list here.
By Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
The China List: Jean Paul Gaultier, Fashion
Wallpaper* and China’s Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development Fund (CHSDF) present China By Design—a celebration of Chinese cultural heritage and the many global creatives who have been inspired by it.
By Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
Playing it spool inside Annakiki’s thread-stacked boutique
By Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
Atelier Tao+c designs monochrome multi-brand boutique in Zhengzhou
By Cat Nelson Last updated
-
AIM designs steely cosmetics boutique in Hong Kong
By Emi Eleode Last updated
-
Inside SND’s ceremonial boutique in China’s Chongqing
By Ali Morris Last updated