Over the past 40 years, Joyce Boutique has been synonymous with cutting-edge fashion in Asia. Since the early 1970s, when founder Joyce Ma opened a small multi-label boutique at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, the retailer has discovered and championed some of the industry's most innovative designers, including Yohji Yamamoto, Dries Van Noten, Comme des Garcons and Balenciaga. Ma was the first to open monobrand stores for luxury brands in Asia such as Giorgio Armani, Donna Karan and Thierry Mugler, and also pioneered a lifestyle retail concept with Joyce Flowers, Joyce magazine and Joyce Cafe in the 80s and 90s.
With so many achievements it's fitting that the retailer chose to celebrate its 40th anniversary in grand style by launching, 'A Journey in Fashion', a large-scale multimedia exhibition that will debut in Hong Kong, before continuing on to Shanghai and Paris, where it will close Fashion Week in March.
'We wanted to be able to share our 40-year journey with everybody who has supported and collaborated with us over the years. This is not just a remarkable achievement for the company but is a testament to the development of fashion, innovation, creativity and artistry in Asia over the past four decades,' says Andrew Keith, president of Joyce Boutique.
The exhibition, which has taken over a year to co-ordinate, will be presented at The Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences, a 100-year-old heritage building in Mid-Levels that is being used for a fashion event for the first time. Covering two floors, visitors will be led through five rooms, each offering an insight into Joyce's history and development, supported by rare archive images, press clippings and installations. One-on-one interviews with designers and fashion visionaries such as Ann Demeulemeester and Dean and Dan Caten from DSquared will be conducted by influential blogger and ex-Joyce magazine editor Diane Pernet.
The highlight of the exhibition, however, is a rare collection of more than 50 archive pieces that have been donated from brands taken from Joyce's past, present and future including Pucci, Etro, Alexander McQueen, Diane von Furstenberg and Rick Owens. Some pieces are taken from collections created the year the brand was launched at Joyce, while others are iconic styles such as Proenza Schouler's colourful tie-dye dress, a polka-dot creation from Yves Saint Laurent or an embellished coat from Romeo Gigli.
Another aspect that makes the exhibition special is the use of technology and multimedia. Visitors will be given cards that can be used at various interactive stations to access more information - including video footage - about each brand. At home, visitors can log onto a designated website using a webcam and a computer for a virtual walk through of the exhibition.