By Louise Chen
Originally published on artinfo.com, June 10, 2010
http://in.blouinartinfo.com/contemporary-arts/article/34879-ferragamo-bares-claws-in-a-collaboration-with-artist-xue-song
Combining Italian luxury with a Chinese touch,Ferragamo is launching a line of limited-edition bags and wallets emblazoned with two tigers by Chinese artist Xue Song, a collaboration available exclusively in the fashion house's Hong Kong stores.
Xue created the original painting of the two fierce cats against a red jungle background after a visit to the Ferragamo Museum Archive in 2009. A cherished animal in Chinese culture, the tiger embodies power, ferocity, beauty, and vivacity — symbolizing the Chinese aspiration for progress. The two tigers are rendered by silkscreen on the front of each leather tote.
The new line is bound to catch the eye of local fashionistas with an interest in Western style and an appreciation for Chinese traditions. But they won't have an easy time getting their hands on it — Ferragamo's first line launched specifically for the Chinese market is only being shown at Salvatore Ferragamo boutiques at Canton Road, Tsimshatsui, and in the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong.
The 80-year-old fashion house has been known for tapping into the energy of the art avant-garde throughout their history of creative image-building. Many renowned artists have been invited to collaborate with the Florentine brand, including Futurist painter Lucio Venna — for a 1930s advertising campaign — and Pietro Annigoni, who painted Ferragamo’s portrait as well as the house's Florence headquarters. (The latter was incorporated into the company’s letterhead in the 1950s-1980s.) For this latest project, the fashion company was drawn to Xue’s art by the way he infuses traditional Chinese forms with contemporary elements and techniques, reinterpreting a collective cultural memory.
Ferragamo has recently opened stores in Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou, and is planning to launch 10 more stores in mainland China. According to company CEO Michele Norsa, greater China — including the mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan — may overtake Japan as the company's largest market after the U.S. by the end of 2010.