All the Stars at the If You Know, You Know. Loro Piana's Quest for Excellence Exhibition

To celebrate its 100th anniversary as well as its strong links with China, Loro Piana has just revealed its first-ever exhibition, If You Know, You Know. Loro Piana's Quest for Excellence, in Shanghai at the Museum of Art Pudong. For the uninitiated, back in 1986, Pier Luigi Loro Piana (one of the two brothers behind the Italian luxury brand) travelled to Inner Mongolia, China, for the first time in search of the finest cashmere, and a year later, the house opened its first raw material laboratory in China, where the quality and purity of Loro Piana's precious cashmere fibres are checked.

Curated by Judith Clark, the most impressive and immersive exhibition highlights the house's heritage, craftsmanship, connection to China, and commitment to quality through rooms and showcases filled with archival documents, heirloom fabrics, modern artworks and never-seen-before couture silhouettes (including a floor-length dress made from The Gifts of Kings® fibre, and a grand hoop skirt, embroidered with Loro Piana's thistle motif, requiring 1,000 hours of work) — the looks, which were created just for the exhibition, are a true must-see. As this is Loro Piana, the exhibition is not simply a feast for the eyes but an absolute tactile treat too — visitors can walk through a Cashfur-lined corridor that allows interaction, while the Cocooning room is decorated with plush and padded walls in cashmere and the material of jacket lining. And speaking of the thistle, this is the emphasis of the second part of the exhibition. It is a symbol of Loro Piana’s heritage, after all — historically, the flower was used as a tool to raise and brush the surface of its precious fabrics. Walls are covered in quilted silk, a sizable thistle machine, as well as a spherical dress made from cashmere flowers.