Prep Gets Precious
Chinese artist Li Xiaofeng has designed a limited edition porcelain polo shirt for Lacoste's 2010 Holiday Collectors Series. Good luck and fertility are the main themes behind the sculpture, which was constructed using porcelain shards wired together.
Inspired by the Ming Dynasty, the design promises more good fortune than the average Irish charm. It's covered in symbols that represent good luck, a few well-wishing expressions and of course the colour red. And just for good measure, Xiaofeng has also placed the Lacoste name and logo upside down, following the Chinese tradition of hanging characters upside down for - you guessed it - good luck.
For the limited edition polos that he's designed, Xiaofeng took his inspiration from (strangely) babies. The design is based on the traditional blue and white patterns from the Kangxi period or Qing Dynasty, when baby-filled designs were believed to help with fertility.
The final pattern was made by photographing hundreds of porcelain shards, which the artists then organised using his computer. The blue and white design also reflects the luxury behind the Lacoste label as these ceramics were only owned by the upper classes. This is fitting for the shirt that will become Lacoste's most expensive piece so far. Only 20,000 shirts have been printed and they will be sold in a silk pouched stamped with a red seal baring 'LI XIAOFENG LACOSTE'.
This isn't the artist's first foray into combining his traditional medium of broken porcelain with clothing, and his earlier pieces are well worth checking out. We'd love to see porcelain on the catwalk, but with the height of heels these days, we're worried that a little tumble would be a historic fail.
Written by Susannah Singh.
