Carine Roitfeld and Adrian Cheng to Unveil a Treasure Trove of Rare Fashion Archives
Fashion

Carine Roitfeld and Adrian Cheng to Unveil a Treasure Trove of Rare Fashion Archives

by Kanika Talwar

Fashion's favorite editor and stylist Carine Roitfeld has unveiled a new couture exhibition in Hong Kong. Savoir-Faire: The Mastery of Craft in Fashion focuses on the craft and preservation of luxury fashion designers and houses.

The exhibit includes rare couture pieces from Balenciaga, Chanel, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Iris van Herpen, Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton, Mugler, Saint Laurent, Schiaparelli, Tom Ford, Valentino and Versace, alongside Roitfeld's private, never-before-seen archives. Zendaya's Tom Ford Critics Choice Award breastplate and Solange's Iris Van Herpen Met Gala look are just some of the coveted pieces set to make their Asia debut.

Savoir-Faire captures the couture pieces' inspirations and a shift towards the technological and innovative techniques of the modern day. Visually and physically immersive, the presentation looks at the past, present, and future and how they come together in a celebration of the masterful art form. By taking a page from Roitfeld's iconic fashion editorials, many major couture houses have agreed to loan their work to the art display.

Photography: Sophie Carre

"We hope to show the interconnection of fashion and its highest form of art, and how a particular craft can tell the story of another place, time, or maker," Roitfeld says. "I want the visitors to feel like they belong, to be inspired, to dream."

The exhibition is the latest installment of collaborations between Roitfeld and Adrian Cheng, founder of K11 Craft & Guild Foundation. The pair have previously created a three-part webinar to bring artisanship into the digital era—the first two episodes featured leaders from Chanel and Dior. The final installment will arrive in November.

"I started working with Carine in 2020 and it has been our shared passion for creativity and craftsmanship that inspired our idea for this exhibition," Cheng explains. "We have the same vision to connect people and different cultures through fashion and appreciation for artisanship. We hope that by bringing amazing pieces from internationally renowned fashion houses to Asia, we will do just that."

Courtesy of CR Fashion Book

The duo will take to their respective home cities of Paris and Hong Kong on December 10 to unveil the global partnership and celebrate the exhibition's launch. Roitfeld and Cheng will bring together global fashion-leaders and creatives to commemorate the exhibition, communicating via livestream. A portion of the Hong Kong opening event charity audition will be donated to UNESCO and K11 Craft & Guild Foundation for the conservation of the dying art form.

Savoir-Faire: The Mastery of Craft in Fashion opens on December 13 until February 14, 2022, at the K11 Art & Cultural Centre in Hong Kong's Victoria Dockside.

Photo courtesy of Chanel