Daily Front Row

2010 July 29

Bottega Veneta Heads to the Shanghai World Expo

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Bottega Veneta's Spring Buds limited-edition bag
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(NEW YORK) It may be quintessentially Italian, but in two weeks, Bottega Veneta will head to China for a major cultural field trip: the brand is partnering with composer Tan Dun for a world premiere concert called Martial Arts Trilogy at the World Expo in Shanghai, performed by the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, China Youth Symphony Orchestra and Shanghai Philharmonic Chorus. Martial Arts Trilogy is the highlight of the six-month-long Expo 2010, which has drawn over 10 million visitors to Shanghai since its kickoff in May. "It is a pleasure and also a responsibility, I believe, to help young designers and artists share their work with the widest possible audience,” said Bottega creative director Tomas Maier. “That is why we developed an artisan training program at the Scuola Della Pelletteria in Vicenza. It was our aim in sponsoring a student design competition at the University of Tokyo this spring. And it is why we are excited about sponsoring this concert with Tan Dun and the young musicians he is conducting in Shanghai.”

In addition to sponsoring the premiere, Bottega has created a limited-edition bag, 100 percent of the proceeds of which will benefit the Spring Buds Project of CCTF, which helps girls in poverty-struck regions of China get back to school and focuses on vocational training for young women. The bag will be sold in Bottega’s 11 China stores and will be available online for bidding.