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Consideration zeroed in on Miley Cyrus’ Gucci bamboo bag as she tried to tug out an acceptance speech throughout the 66th Grammy Awards earlier this month.
Seems, she didn’t want it and as an alternative recited her thanks from reminiscence, however the televised second introduced contemporary consideration to the long-lasting bag fashion, first launched in 1947 that includes a hand-curved bamboo deal with, with the bamboo component later woven right into a timepiece vary and fragrance launched in 2016 that perfume specialists deemed “nice.”
As we speak, Gucci’s bamboo-handle bag is being marketed as a premium, hero providing beneath artistic director Sabato De Sarno. Within the U.S., the bag is out there by appointment solely with costs starting from $3,700 for a mini model as seen on Cyrus, to $52,000 for a croc fashion.
Gucci’s Bamboo 1947 mini prime deal with bag. Akris wool double-face coat and gown; Gucci sun shades; Esenshel felt hat; Wing & Weft leather-based gloves.
Chelsie Craig/WWD
In keeping with the Shanghai-based trend curator Pooky Lee, trend gadgets made with bamboo are discovering renewed relevance as buyers more and more favor area of interest, handmade merchandise that require intricate craft expertise.
“New social and retail channels guarantee one thing as area of interest as this might additionally discover its goal clients, subsequently providing artists industrial safety for adopting the fabric. For example, many bamboo equipment and objects I got here throughout are principally promoted and offered on Xiaohongshu,” says Lee.
As with many artisanal creations, the worth of a trend merchandise product of bamboo shouldn’t be decided by the price of the uncooked materials, however by the craftsmanship and cultural significance.
Bamboo is among the most reasonably priced supplies, particularly in China, as it may be made into something: a brush, a sieve, a chair, and so on. On the similar time, a number of the most treasured art work options or is made with bamboo, which is usually thought of an emblem of power and resilience. In 2016, a bamboo portray by the Ming dynasty painter Xia Chang fetched greater than $4.2 million in an public sale.
Feng Chen Wang, spring 2020
Courtesy of Feng Chen Wang
Designer Feng Chen Wang has built-in bamboo into the model’s universe beginning 5 years in the past, when she devoted an entire assortment to using bamboo in Chinese language conventional tradition. These days, the bamboo vary is her most recognizable providing, alongside her profitable footwear partnership with Converse.
Wang, who grew up in Fujian, stated bamboo is all over the place. After she did her “Made in China” spring 2018 assortment in New York, she labored to “shine a light-weight on native craftsmanship and produce it again to the realm of luxurious,” she says.
“I labored with ladies in my hometown whose husbands had been working in massive cities to develop the road of manufacturing from scratch. From one bag to producing a full vary of merchandise, now we’re pushing the boundary of bamboo each season to give you new shapes and new strategies,” says Wang.
The Feng Chen Wang bamboo bag marketing campaign.
Courtesy of Feng Chen Wang
“Bamboo is a really sustainable materials because it’s not a tree, it’s a type of tree-like grass. So it grows very quick and might regenerate in a short time. On the similar time, there’s a non secular connection between me and what bamboo stands for. It’s an emblem of inclusion, perseverance, and my Asian heritage. I consider that by giving bamboo a brand new life with my creativity, it’s giving my model a singular voice as effectively,” provides Wang, who built-in Fujian’s purple clay teapot-making into her fall 2024 assortment proven in Paris.
Cementing the model’s ubiquitous reference to bamboo, Wang final December unveiled a bamboo-themed pop-up in Shenzhen’s common procuring advanced MixC World. A documentary exploring her relationship with bamboo is within the works, as effectively.
Feng Chen Wang bamboo home pop-up in Shenzhen MixC World.
Courtesy of Feng Chen Wang
Lee additionally famous along with Gucci and Feng Chen Wang, Loewe has additionally honored bamboo, releasing quick documentary movies for its Chinese language New 12 months marketing campaign in 2021 that includes bamboo-weaving craftsmen in China.
The model’s dedication to Chinese language tradition and craftsmanship, as seen in its most up-to-date undertaking involving three Chinese language grasp jade carvers, will likely be additional showcased within the upcoming immersive exhibition “Crafted World” slated to open on the Shanghai Exhibition Middle on March 22.
A bamboo artisan starring in Loewe’s 2021 documentary honoring bamboo weaving.
Courtesy of Loewe
However whether or not a cloth stays or goes inside the luxurious house typically relies on how it’s interpreted and introduced, Lee says.
“Supplies like bamboo typically face the issue of not having the ability to be mass manufactured, subsequently it’d prohibit its use by main manufacturers. As for connecting with native customers, the case of Loewe’s marketing campaign completely demonstrated the importance of cultural narrative in bamboo among the many native clients,” he says.
Sean Wu’s bamboo installations product of recycled glass bottles.
Courtesy of Sean Wu
Additionally betting on connecting with Chinese language customers through bamboo is LuisaViaRoma.
The Florentine e-tailer welcomed the Lunar New 12 months with an immersive bamboo sculpture set up in collaboration with the Chinese language artist and set designer Sean Wu inside its Through Roma flagship.
Calling bamboo “a foundational component” in his artistic journey, Wu says Chinese language buyers are naturally drawn to it attributable to its familiarity in Chinese language structure and furnishings design.
“My set up is deeply rooted within the perception that it signifies a harmonious fusion of heritage and innovation. Conventional supplies, resembling bamboo, deliver forth cultural richness and profound symbolism. When included into up to date designs, these supplies not solely contribute to sustainable practices but additionally foster a connection between the previous and the current,” he says.
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