Consumers everyday buy clothes to emulate something bigger than the piece itself, be it wealth, artistry or prestige. Specific brands and collections have a pedestal in one’s mind, mirroring everything a person wants to be, or at least imitate. These purchases face the risk of falling flat, coming off inauthentic or underwhelming. Few brands can maintain an unshakeable elegance — only cultivated through a vast history and global influence — that communicate more than face-value luxury and instead illustrate timeless grandeur. 

If there is a fashion house to rise to the challenge, one cannot overlook Loro Piana. With a history tracing back to the early 1800s, the maison has anchored their work in superior craftsmanship and fine textiles that could only be born out of a family-oriented labor of love. While originating in northern Italy, Loro Piana embraces a global outreach that underscores the caliber of their pieces — sourcing cashmere from baby goats in China and Mongolia, Merino wool from Australia and New Zealand and vicuña from the Andes. Loro Piana’s first-ever exhibition, If You Know, You Know. Loro Piana’s Quest for Excellence, pays homage to this rich history, spotlighting their fruitful relationship with China. 

Shown in the Museum of Art (MAP) Pudong in Shanghai, the exhibition immerses audiences in a dialogue of Loro Piana’s growth and history, employing both documentary and sensory modes of display. The vast size of the exhibition — spanning 1,000 square meters and 15 rooms — speaks to the house’s layered heritage, and the pristine detail poured into the galleries. In a combination of archival documents and photos, mid-century artwork, mannequins and textile whiles, all elements meet to manifest the heart of Loro Piana’s journey: the pursuit of fine craftsmanship. The exhibition also integrates the work of Chinese composers and art, honoring the country’s longstanding relationship with the fashion house that is grounded in cashmere — perhaps Loro Piana’s highest-regarded fabric.

Internationally-recognized curator Judith Clark applied her hands-on approach to cultivate spaces that engage audiences with distinct components of Loro Piana heritage. The first section, “The Story of Loro Piana,” is arranged as its own museum, and includes artwork by Piedmontese and Valsesian artists as a testament to Italian beauty and traditions. “Restaging Valesia,” the final segment, then brings audiences back to Loro Piana’s homeland with an immersive film — tying a bow on the innovative retrospective into Loro Piana’s world.