Bonaveri Magazine

The exhibition concept embraces the idea
of a “temporal passage”: installations over
arches and staircases are the setting for a
scene where mannequins are both audience
and actors. 75 iconic Schläppi 2200 figures
are silhouetted against magnificent and
monumental spaces. For the exhibition the
mannequins display a matt finish consigned
to only two significant colours, black and gold,
to emphasise the jewellery and garments.
By enhancing and defining the peculiarities of
Bvlgari, the exhibition displayed some of the
most emblematic creations of the brand: the
jewels recount the manufacturing excellence,
the taste for colour, the luxurious volumes and
the smooth lines typical of the brand.
“Pierre Cardin. Fashion Futurist” was the
first exhibition in Germany dedicated to this
experimental genius who’s avant-garde style
has left an indelible mark on the history of
fashion. Over 80 haute couture dresses, men’s
and women’s accessories, photographs and
films, form the narrative behind the unique
style of Pierre Cardin; from the beginning to his
most recent years, from androgynous looks to
sci-fi style, to elegant evening dresses. “Cardin
has created an unmistakable aesthetic.”
says Barbara Til, one of the two curators of
the exhibition. “He worked virtually threedimensionally,
like a sculptor, using cuts that
are developed right on the body and do justice
to the fabrics used”.
Pierre Cardin remains the sole owner of his
empire and is considered a pioneer of the
globalization of fashion, and along with his
haute couture creations, has earned his worldrenowned
reputation.
Cardin’s works were displayed on Bonaveri
mannequins: 65 figures from the Schläppi
2200 female and Schläppi 3000 male
mannequin collections – standing proud and
elegant –, in opaque white to further highlight
Cardin’s vast geometric vocabulary.
The Asian Civilisations Museum has presented
art through couture in a juxtaposition of
masterpieces created centuries apart. “Guo
Pei: Chinese Art and Couture” not only aimed
to show the importance and value of heritage,
but it had also been designed to give visitors an
overview of Chinese art history – imperial art,
export art and folk art.
The exhibition began with a dramatic display of
the iconic dress worn by Rihanna to the 2015
Met Gala: a homage to imperial China and Guo
Pei’s breakthrough to the international fashion
market. With 20 Chinese art masterpieces
from the Museum’s collection and 29 dresses
by Guo Pei, this exquisite showcase examined
the relevance and characteristics of Chinese
art, and how Chinese aesthetics and traditions
are being re-imagined for contemporary works.
“In this exhibition, fashion and history come
full circle. We see how the past inspires the
present, and how traditions are revived and
rejuvenated, and we see how export objects
and foreign ideas influence the local”, says
Jackie Yoong, curator of the show.
Guo Pei’s works were displayed on Bonaveri
mannequins. The mannequins had been
chosen for previous installations of the Chinese
stylist – such as the art and design exhibition at
NGV Triennial in Melbourne. The iconic Schläppi
2200 and Aloof collections displayed the
dresses at the Asian Civilisations Museum and
best interpreted the aesthetics and sensibility
of the artist.
There is also another side of this story, and
not a positive one. The unparalleled success
that the 2200 collection has had led many
companies at first to follow its style with similar
mannequins, and then to reproduce it in detail
to sell it as an original. Over the years copies
became frequent especially in the far east.
Bonaveri policies on this regard have always
been very straightforward: fight in courts, no
matter how difficult it might be to protect the
intellectual property. This was the case of a
law suit against an important Chinese mannequin
producer in a ground-breaking legal action. A ruling
by a Chinese court was passed whereby the Shanghai
company, and Chunfa Mannequins was ordered to
destroy its counterfeit mannequins.
The Shanghai court ordered Chunfa to destroy all
the molds and mannequins in stock, and to pay a
compensation to Bonaveri for copyright infringement.
This was a landmark ruling by a Chinese court who
asserted the copyright of a foreign company and
recognized the value of the research and development
carried out by Bonaveri and its trademark products.
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