The magnetic power of the art fair in Miami Beach is nearly unrivaled – it unites the long-established with the most innovative galleries. It draws all the important big museums and curators in. It attracts the most powerful art collectors and the most significant art-dealers. And yes: This year the art fair ArtBaselMiamiBeach was once again a star-studded event, alluring Sean “Diddy” Combs, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Adrien Brody, and famous artists like Damien Hirst, Zaha Hadid, Marina Abramovic and many more.
And who would blame them for all wanting to join in – Miami is always a treat: The sun shines while Europe is generally frosted with winterly temperatures and New York lays covered with snow. Another good argument might be the incredible line-up of lavish parties that are given by the big supporters of the art fair. Yes, Art Basel Miami is also a marathon of party hopping. The W South Hotel was definitely one of the places to be – it is home to The Wall, a nightclub but also to some very stylish suites. So I wasn´t surprised to bump into Giovanna Battaglia in front of the hotel. She looked great and there was a removable lettering on her leg that read “Basel Tov” – probably alluding to the bar-mitzvah-like music played at the night before. Summing it all up perfectly: Art Basel Miami is a big celebration.
The parties
One of the most notable events was the Christian Dior dinner in honor of German artist Anselm Reyle, who has collaborated with Dior on an accessories-line. The dinner was hosted by Delphine Arnault, the CEO of Dior and attended by a fashionable crowd, including Giovanna Battaglia, Pharrell Williams, Stefano Tonchi and Camille Miceli, the creative director of Dior-accessories. Later that evening Giovanna posted a tweet sharing her fascination with Miceli.
Details on the Collection.
I had seen the collection in the Dior studios in Paris earlier this year and had been impressed by the way this collaboration had preserved each side´s most precious characteristics. They were dazzling, but I was rather concerned when I was told at Dior, that they would present these accessories during Art Basel Miami in a pop-up store… Well, I had no idea, how cool this Pop-Up store would turn out to be.
When artists and luxury-brands decide to work together, there´s always a risk of the result being too commercial or of losing respect of the artists idiosyncrasy. But Anselm Reyle and Dior have managed to preserve each ones identity. Reyle is known for shiny materials and flashy neon-colors. So he applied these to the classical form of the Lady Dior bag and created a camouflage-print for a tote. In addition he added geometrically shaped plexi charms to the bags.
So how did this translate it the pop-up store? Look for yourself. The pictures tell it all. The multiple-screens displayed a fancy music-video styled clip that moved to the beats of the live DJ in the store. There was a mini-soccer table in the designs of Anselm Reyle and a line-up of manicure tables, where clients could directly try on the varnish, typical Reyle lack on your fingers…
JACQUELINE.NOW 