The Austrian-originated family company Swarovski is debuting its revolutionary new vision of Wonderlab during the inaugural China International Consumer Products Expo in Hainan province, to show its confidence in the future major free trade port and international center for tourism and consumption.
"The Wonderlab is this imaginary world where science and magic meet," said Giovanna Engelbert, the first-ever creative director of Swarovski since the brand""s establishment in 1895. "It is where the essence of a crystal lives, an extraordinary place where the imagination takes flight and expresses itself in a million different facets."
From Friday to Monday, Swarovski is inviting every guest to ignite their dreams through the immersive Wonderlab experience and unprecedented imaginations at the booth. Bathed in a golden yellow glow, the Swarovski booth is an enigmatic representation that echoes the bold and mesmerizing concept of the Swarovski Instant Wonder stores, recently opened in Milan and Paris to great acclaim, which will come to Shanghai soon.
The design of Instant Wonder is inspired by "Alice in Wonderland landed in Willy Wonka""s candy store, meets the Pop Art movement". Featured by the new packaging, now a tangible representation of the brand""s new icon, the octagon-shaped boxes are the repeating motive of the instore walls and create a textural, standout display space for figurines, loose components, jewelry, writing instruments, watches and accessories. The Instant Wonder stores feature walls and walls of the new magical world of jewelry. What""s more, with the sculptural busts, Engelbert wants to represent "normal" settings for wearing jewelry and play with scale, form and representation. Innovative 3D scanning techniques are used to cast the busts－again using science to create magic.
Moreover, Swarovski""s classic swan is now reimagined through the filter of the Wonderlab. The new Swarovski Swan turns to face the brand""s new direction head-on, poised to take flight. In adapting while staying true to its iconic emblem, Swarovski reinforces its pride for heritage as well as its vision for the future.
The first expression of the Wonderlab comes to life in Engelbert""s first collection for Swarovski－Collection I. She was inspired by Daniel Swarovski""s geometric drawings and wanted the first collection to emphasize the perfection of the material as he saw it. Despite the geometric perfection of the pieces, playfulness was a major part of the creative process. The use of monochromatic, bold colors, playing with unexpected settings and ways to wear and playing with the notion of scale throughout, gives a modern, expressive feeling to the entire collection.
Celebrating individuality and imagination, and embracing the essence of joy, the elation of the Wonderlab campaign and the joyous new design of the stores are poignantly injected and reflected in not only the Swarovski booth, but the uplifting element and future focus of the CICPE itself.
As CEO Robert Buchbauer explains: "Swarovski is a company rooted in innovation and reinvention. For 126 years, we have stayed true to our DNA as a brand while rising to meet the needs of an evolving world. We look forward to unveiling this new chapter in our history; one that will mark us as a true crystal lifestyle for the future."
In China, for China
"In addition to showcasing the brand""s new revolution, Swarovski also believes the expo is a platform to reflect its ongoing commitment to China and its people," according to Judith Sun, managing director of Swarovski Crystal Business, Greater China.
As an internationally known Austrian brand, Swarovski has been proud to witness the growing friendship of both countries for five decades. The year of 2021 is a milestone for the business partnership and friendship of both countries, when the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-Austrian relations and Swarovski""s premiere at the first CICPE are celebrated.
In the last few years, China has introduced an array of policies to promote opening-up and high-quality development. One of those policies includes a master plan for building the southern island province of Hainan into a globally influential free trade port, which started in 2018.
"Hainan will play a vital role in cultivating a prosperous and resilient consumer market and promoting the transformation and upgrading of domestic consumption in China to support the grand development goals in the country for the next 15 years," Sun said, adding: "We have been paying close attention to the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port and related policy trends. It is with great excitement that Swarovski releases its mesmerizing new look into the Chinese market at the CICPE and continues to explore opportunities along with the development of Hainan."
Since 2019, China has even become the brand""s largest market globally. "We are greatly impressed and encouraged by the young and energetic consumer market in China," Sun said. "Specifically, in the past several years with the increasingly important millennial and Generation Z consumers."
Looking ahead, Swarovski is continuing to celebrate crystal in all its facets while bringing to life an extensive transformation program, enhancing some important elements of the brand experience and ensuring it has a sustainable business for the future.