Alfred Dunhill unveiled its fall collection on Friday, March 16 in China, where the British menswear company first made its mark more than 20 years ago and where it now operates more than 100 stores. Nearly a year in the making, the high-tech presentation for 1,000 guests at Shanghail’s New International Expo Centre merged architecture, design, and Eastern and Western cultures with a dramatic show that was also streamed on Facebook.
Leading the planning team was Dunhill's London-based global marketing director, Jason Beckley. To highlight the company's quintessential British roots without ignoring the location of the affair, Beckley dreamed up a setting that included seasonal imagery and subtle nods to the brand's home country. "It was inspired by the idea of nature, where there's a real correlation between city and country," said Beckley.
Following a cocktail hour, guests were ushered into a 157-foot-long tunnel—the build for which took just 45 minutes—where a ceiling dotted with LEDs mimicked the night sky. At the end of the passageway, 64 Asian models stood atop a podium, which rose eight feet high and was shaped like Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square. "I liked the idea of landmarks," said Beckley. "The Dunhill brand has been around Britain for so long that it almost is one. I really wanted something that was a recognizable place."
Utilizing Maya projection-mapping technology, six projectors stationed around the stage bounced a high-definition sequence off the floor and onto a thin silver acetate foil (under two millimeters in thickness) that then reflected the moving images. The result was what appeared to be a giant snow globe that simulated the weather changes of all four seasons in a 14-minute display. "The physicality of it isn't that big," conceded Beckley. "But the content level required the most attention."
Beckley got the idea for the show concept after reading about Pepper's ghost, an illusionary technique used in the theater and magic trade where plate glass and special lighting can make objects seem transparent, morph into other pieces, or look like they are appearing or disappearing.
The show also included a live performance by British violin virtuoso—and Alfred Dunhill model—Charlie Siem, who consolidated the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Lark Ascending," Tan Dun's "Love in Distance," and Sigur Rós's "Hoppipolla." The musician was accompanied by a nine-piece Chinese orchestra.
Complementing the virtual bubble engulfing guests was an olfactory detail, a custom "After the Rain" scent created by fragrance house Firmenich. It added to the film-noir-inspired lighting and was designed to evoke the idea of fresh rain in England.
"The brand doesn't need to show up at a Fashion Week with an hour slot and do a runway; it's not that kind of brand at all," said Beckley. "But we wanted to show people our flair and our style, and define ourselves. It's important to remember to celebrate in an established market and not always go looking [to put on a show] for new markets and new people, although we are looking to do one significant event a year and those may take place in other cities."
After the presentation, 300 guests retreated to Dunhill's 1920s neo-classical Twin Villas Shanghai home for a buffet dinner of Chinese delicacies and entertainment by local artisans.
