Bricks And Luxury Goods

Trying clothes in the newly opened Dior Homme store in the Shanghai Golden State Center can be especially time-consuming. Guests are often attracted by hundreds of black-and-white photographs in the fitting room.

Artist Fang Fang printed the classic male image of China for 60 years on brick and made it into the fitting room's decoration wall.

Wen Fang said that cooperation with the top international fashion houses, and works can resonate among ordinary Chinese people, this is what makes her happy.

As an interviewee, Wen Fang's seriousness is beyond my expectation.

We sat opposite to each other in the rest area of Dior shop. I opened the recording pen, and she also took out two pieces of paper, which were thick and small.

She filled up my interview outline like a test paper, printed on A4 paper for the two time, and some paragraphs were supplemented by handwriting.

She said that writing is more precise and detailed than speaking impromptu.

Of course, this is not a silent interview, she speaks slowly, but every sentence is fresh and real, just like her artistic creation.

Fitting room through time and space

In 2008, Wen Fang was invited to take part in the creation of "Dior and Chinese artists". He used the brick as the media. He designed the fitting room for the Dior Homme new store in Shanghai gold center. She used the form of "photo brick wall".

When guests enter the fitting room of Dior Homme, they will be attracted by a hundred familiar Chinese men. Among them are Mao Zedong, Lei Feng, Bruce Lee, Cui Jian, and Qi Sheng Sheng. For those familiar and unfamiliar faces, some are pictures of ordinary people collected by Wen Fang in the old pictorial, some of which are provided by her relatives and friends.

For example, when I asked about the source of a wedding photo in a western style studio, I got the answer, "that's one of our elders."

And the curiosity and resonance of these kinds of things will also make the guests of the fitting room travel through time and space.

The photos in the Dior Homme fitting room are selected from the first collaboration of Wen Fang and Dior in sixty years.

It is a much larger installation of art works, brick displayed on the wall, showing the classic image of Dior brand over the past 60 years, while the other side corresponds to the same period of Chinese fashion.

The walls and walls are very different from each other, but the big holes in the middle of the walls and the wall fragments hanging in the air like time coagulating have a deeper meaning: the difference between the Dior 60 years and the 60 years in China is just a representation. As the essence of bricks, there is no two, and once the wall is broken, the fragments will no longer be able to distinguish which side belongs to France and which side belongs to China.

Although people draw attention to the pictures printed on bricks, the key to artists is brick and printing method, which is a secret.

Wen Fang said, finding a suitable brick material is not easy, its surface must be smooth enough to clearly show the photos, and at the same time, it can not lose the essence of the rough bricks, and let the photos naturally show an old and old flavor.

Eventually, she found a less common brick. In the process, she even tried to build bricks herself.

Gentlemen differ but differ.

"I often work in a bad environment, so putting on clothes puts the practicality first and always wears pants."

Wen Fang answered my questions about dressing style.

In front of me, she wore light makeup, wore a long white dress that was flowing out of the dust, and made a French Nail that matched her skirt. Her seriousness was once again verified.

"I have no requirement for clothes since I was young, because I was born in a civilian family.

When I grow up, I am not a very sensitive person. For example, if I live in a very high grade hotel, I won't feel much enjoyment.

Fashion is indeed a luxury. If you spend money on a poor person, he can live for a long time.

So far, my subconscious mind is still thinking this way.

Nevertheless, as an artist, she does not object to buying luxury goods, nor does she repel cooperation with luxury brands.

"Instead, I will think about why these fashions are good. There must be some creative and artistic values worth learning from."

In a word, "gentlemen are different but different."

At the end of the interview, Wen Fang introduced me to a new project she was working on: "helping the poor with art".

Since the concept was introduced last year, she has been looking for traditional craftsmen in remote areas of China to create creative products and artworks that can be put into galleries.

"In addition to paying their wages, I will return 50% of my personal profits to the local charitable fund."

She said, "artists should not only ask questions in the middle of their works, but also help them in the snow.

I want to reverse the impression that people are "selfish and impractical" for contemporary artists.

The idea of an artist, Wen Fang, is also worthy of reference from her fellow fashion designers.

B = the Bund pictorial.

W= Wen Fang

Luxury goods are hard to get.

B: let's talk about the inspiration source for designing the fitting room for Dior Homme IFC new store this time.

In W:2008, I used brick for the first time when I was writing for Dior, so they want to have continuity and continue to use bricks.

My idea is that most of the people who visit here are Chinese. When they walk into the fitting room, they suddenly see that there are so many Chinese characters on the wall. They must be very surprised and feel the affinity of the brand.

Even when they walk out of the shop, they will still be able to imagine.

B: did anything interesting happen in the process of making this fitting room?

W: during construction, I came to Shanghai to be a supervisor. At that time, IFC was still full of construction sites.

A security guard often came to see the wall and talked to me about the characters he knew on the wall. He could see that he liked the wall very much.

This reminds me of the wall I worked with when I first worked with Dior. When the ordinary staff in Beijing 798 Art Center met me, they would laugh and ask, "how is the monument to the people's Heroes?"

B: you have chosen brick form for your two cooperation with Dior. Is there any particular reason?

W: I first used brick to create the "peasant worker figurines of the Republic" in 2007. Every brick has a smiling face of my migrant worker.

Bricks are my personal characteristics and my common materials. Bricks are of special significance to China, because China is now a large construction site under construction.

When Dior comes to China, they also want to choose artists and art materials that are both international and local.

B: what do you think of the concept of luxury?

W: something that is hard to get, such as rest.

B: material luxury?

W: I think we should respect everyone's ideas.

For example, I will not buy luxuries, but I will not oppose others to buy them.

Because everyone's road is different and the starting point is different.

Personally, I am not very sensitive to material luxuries. For example, if I live in a very advanced hotel, I will not feel much enjoyment. Material life can not bring me true happiness.

B: you studied in the Photography Department of the Louis Lumiere National Higher Art College in Paris. What do you think is the difference between French and Chinese in terms of fashion and luxury?

W: for the French, luxury is not material, but their beauty.

The French are not all very rich, but they will invest more in luxury goods.

They like something as an emotional passion, not just a brand.

They care more about their feelings when they are together with these beautiful things.

But Chinese people care more about what others will think after I buy them, but not their feelings.

Artists are designers of human nature.

B: what is your earliest memory about fashion?

W: when I was in primary school, I was very impressed with the red scarf made by the silk, because the first thing we wore was the red scarf of the head, and the red scarf appeared in the silk, and I felt very advanced.

And there were two white stripes of blue sportswear worn by everyone. Suddenly one day there appeared three styles of white stripes.

I remember the beautiful white shirt with lace.

B: how would you describe your dressing style?

W: I often work in a bad environment, for example, in brick kiln, for our long-term manual workers, practicality is the first.

So I am often a face of dust, and it's rare to be like this today.

B: if you were asked to choose a Dior costume, how would you wear it?

W: I definitely choose men's clothes because I wear neutral clothes most of the time.

I like Dior Homme very much. It's elegant and cool. It always takes black and white grey as the main color. It makes the profile and cutting more prominent. It reminds me of the ink painting and calligraphy I learned from my childhood. I think the designers of Dior Homme may find inspiration from Chinese ink and wash in the future.

B: what do you do if you want to design clothes?

W: combining photography with some relatively simple materials.

Such as hair, wood and metal.

Let people turn into a work of art, or let art serve the human body.

B: you used Dior and the 60 year changes of Chinese fashion as the theme of creation. Now please have a good look at what the fashion will be like 60 years from now.

W: I think the clothing with special functions and DIY can be popular. For example, we can change the temperature, color and style at any time.

Because with the deterioration of the natural environment, the function of clothing will become more and more important.

Moreover, such clothing can also save a lot of natural resources and become more environmental friendly.

B: if you can only dress up all your life, what do you want to wear?

W: that's what I said just now, which can change the temperature, color and style at any time.

B: what do you think artists have in common with fashion designers?

W: fashion designers are artists in the fashion industry, and artists are designers of human nature.