Valentino Sets Up Shop in Shanghai
China and Italy’s long history of cultural exchange continues with the opening of Valentino’s Shanghai flagship at the center of the city’s business district, at IAPM Mall on Huai Hai Zhong Road. Second in size only to the Milan flagship, Valentino enlisted modernist architect David Chipperfield to reduce the spirit of a monumental Venetian palazzo to an intimate personal space.
Using a varying palette of textures, colors, and lights, Chipperfield created a distinct atmosphere for each room. The architect mixed Venetian terrazzo with Carrara chippings, timber, marble, glass, leather, heavy carpets, and both ambient and white product lights, flattering the visitor by mixing the privacy of a boudoir with the reverence of a museum. Tomorrow morning, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli will show a collection designed with the stores opening in mind. You can live-stream the fashion show on the Valentino website.
