W Hotels brings bold energy to Shanghai Fashion Week with new designer partnership.
Shanghai, China – Just in time for Shanghai Fashion Week, W Hotels Worldwide unveiled ‘XU ZHI for W Hotels,’ an exclusive capsule collection by XU ZHI to celebrate the opening of the first W hotel in Shanghai. W Hotels teamed up with the cutting-edge fashion label to debut six distinct looks and several travel accessories inspired by the city’s glamorous past and the electrifying design of W Shanghai – The Bund. For the exclusive W capsule collection, Eastern and Western styles and cultures collide incorporating colors and concepts found at W Shanghai – The Bund.
“W has always been associated with high octane fashion since its inception. Be it our longstanding partnership with CFDA, we have always dedicated ourselves to aspiring artists and young fashion designers, creating captivating events around fashion,” said Carol Zhou, Senior Director, Luxury Brand Management – Asia Pacific, Marriott International. “The unveil of the collection comes timely as we celebrate the recent opening of W Shanghai – The Bund. We are also proud to present the brand’s very first show at Shanghai Fashion Week together with XU ZHI, fueling the brand’s passion for fashion in Asia’s fashion capital.”
The ‘XU ZHI for W Hotels’ capsule collection includes 12 pieces, each inspired by the flapper attire of Old Shanghai and increasingly popular sleepwear sported by locals in the fashion capital of the East. Xuzhi Chen, the designer behind the XU ZHI brand, brings his own unique fusion of Western tastes and Chinese aesthetics into his work. Much like W Shanghai – The Bund, the capsule collection playfully reinterprets Shanghai’s rich history in a display of Eastern and Western cultures colliding, featuring a color scheme of mint green, sky blue, beige and light yellow alongside vintage floral and stripe prints. The collection also includes a XU ZHI-designed eye mask, passport holder and beauty bag so guests can take a piece of Shanghai with them on-the-go.
“W has always been one of my favorite hotel brands; they bring so much passion to the design of their properties,” said Xuzhi Chen, Designer, XU ZHI. “That passion is something I’ve admired for a long time, so I was excited to work with W Hotels on this capsule collection. Both W and I design with bold innovation and a contemporary attitude in mind, and creating this collection for W Shanghai – The Bund felt like a natural fit. I can’t wait for W guests around the world to try out the beautiful pieces we’ve created to celebrate this city.”
XU ZHI has seen retail success in both the European and Asian markets, making the brand an ideal match for the new property which will welcome travelers from around the globe. Xuzhi Chen is a graduate of the 2015 CFDA+ program, a virtual design talent lab, uniting members of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and educational initiatives to bridge the gap between education and the fashion industry. The new partnership between XU ZHI and W Hotels is the latest development in over 5 years of collaborations between W Hotels and the CFDA. Over the years, W Hotels and the CFDA have pursued their joint mission to support and nurture emerging and established talent alike, creating exposure and business opportunities for designers on a global level.
“The goal of the CFDA+ virtual talent lab is to shine a spotlight on emerging talent from around the world,” said Sara Kozlowski, Director of Education and Professional Development, Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). “CFDA’s partnership with W Hotels allows us to give CFDA+ 2015 designer Xuzhi Chen increased visibility in Shanghai, the bustling fashion capital of China, and beyond. It’s an incredible opportunity and a collaboration that is sure to make an impression during Shanghai Fashion Week.“
No sleep for Fashion Week
As one of the world’s major fashion events, W Hotels wasted no time getting involved in Shanghai Fashion Week. In addition to unveiling the capsule collection, W Hotels also presented XU ZHI’s newest Spring Summer 2018 Collection as part of the official Shanghai Fashion Week calendar. Nearly 400 media and guests attended the runway presentation themed ‘Sleepless Shanghai’ at the W Shanghai – The Bund, a nod to the electrifying energy of the city. VIP guests were granted backstage access to the hotel’s high-design suite, Cloud on the Bund, where the new ‘XU ZHI for W Hotels’ capsule collection was brought to life among the suite’s hanging bed and neon art. As part of the launch, W Shanghai – The Bund also hosted an energetic panel discussion with XU ZHI, moderated by renowned Chinese fashion influencer GOGOBOI.
Beyond the runway
Fashion has always been synonymous with W since the brand’s inception. Across Asia Pacific, W has rolled out a series of fashion-forward initiatives over the past few years. W Guangzhou collaborated with Chinese designer Uma Wang to design the hotels’ uniform, while Masha Ma held an Asian premiere for her Spring Summer 2014 Collection at W Hong Kong in 2014. In 2015, Vega Zaishi Wang kicked off the “Rock the Empire” premiere at W Beijing – Chang’an with her fashion show, while iconic fashion stylist and one of China’s most influential fashion bloggers, Han Huo Huo, chose W Beijing Chang’an for his brand debut. Most recently, in celebration of the opening of W Goa in 2016, the brand partnered with Indian designer duo, Sachin + Babi, to unveil a collection inspired by the destination and designed exclusively for W Goa.
New on the North Bund
W Shanghai – The Bund opened in the summer of 2017, marking the first W property in Shanghai. Designed by the acclaimed G.A Design, the hotel showcases an exciting combination of historic and modern influences while offering epic skyline views of the energetic city’s new financial district. The 374-room hotel provides a captivating contrast in its bold design and decadent style, highlighting Shanghai’s glamorous past and avant-garde present.
Photo caption: Marriott International executive and the designer celebrated the unveiling at W Shanghai – The Bund. Left: Xuzhi Chen, Designer, XU ZHI; Right: Carol Zhou, Senior Director, Luxury Brand Management – Asia Pacific, Marriott International
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