Shanghai: Swarovski is to unveil a major brand exhibition in Shanghai this September celebrating almost 130 years of its storied heritage as Masters of Light across the worlds of fashion, jewelry, and pop culture.
Entitled Swarovski – Masters of Light from Vienna to Shanghai, the exhibition will explore the crystal Maison’s artistry and savoir-faire as well as its unique impact on culture from its origins in fin de siècle Austria to the present day.
The birth of Swarovski in 1895 coincided with the dawn of haute couture, and founder Daniel Swarovski traveled to Paris, providing its early couturiers with new cuts and colors, and fresh inspiration. In the hands of such visionary creators, Swarovski crystals took on forms of infinite variety, becoming a vital ingredient on the catwalk, in fashion and couture jewelry,
As the century unfolded, Swarovski crystals lit up some of Hollywood’s most memorable cinematic moments and illuminated its most iconic stars. Their brilliance was harnessed by creative artists of stage and screen to project their own star power- their indefinable magic.
Swarovski–Masters of Light will showcasea unique array of stage costumes and red-carpet ensembles – many drawn from the Swarovski Heritage Collection – and presented to the public for the first time, alongside masterpieces from more than a century of the art of haute couture.
The exhibition will be centered around three pillars: Swarovski’s Austrian heritage; the incomparable savoir-faire passed down from generation to generation of craftspeople at its headquarters in the Tyrolean Alps; and the brand’s unique relationship with the fashion industry and pop culture.
Swarovski – Masters of Light will take viewers on a journey through time and space, from 19th century Vienna – where company founder Daniel Swarovski was inspired to create his revolutionary electric crystal cutting-machine – to 21st century Shanghai, an international metropolis dedicated to promoting pioneering visions whilst cherishing tradition: a place where history and future converge.
Masters of Light will also present Swarovski’s groundbreaking innovations in cut and color–today the brand offers more than 300,000 varieties of crystal hues, cuts, and effects–as well as its visions for the future, such as dazzling fine jewelry collections made with Swarovski Created Diamonds. These exquisite jewels are set with laboratory grown diamonds that are identical to mined diamonds, possessing the same composition, hardness, brilliance, and fire–the only difference is how they originate.
Light and crystal go hand-in-hand. Each Swarovski crystal captures and transforms the light, igniting a unique brilliance and luminescence. Invented by Daniel Swarovski in 1895 and constantly evolved ever since, Swarovski’s unique crystal formula, combined with the Maison’s exacting savoir-faire in cutting and polishing techniques, offers brilliance for all.
Under the visionary leadership of Global Creative Director Giovanna Engelbert, Swarovski’s jewelry collections continue to push boundaries, exploring the exuberant colors that have ignited creativity in fashion and popular culture for 128 years.
Today, as Swarovski approaches its 130th anniversary, this landmark exhibition will premiere in Shanghai to showcase the creativity, savoir-faire and mastery of light that has kept it at the forefront not just of joyful glamour, but of the pop cultural conversation.
