Charlotte Maëva Perret is truly a French designer who challenges the status quo with her informative installation which tackles online consumption and offline production. In an attempt to put a face on e-commerce, the creative brings together soaps made by Syrian refugees and the luxury leather bags sold by Alibaba.com in a towering and contrasting art piece for Istanbul Design Biennial.
The work is aptly named ‘Open Sesame: Exercises in Entrepreneurship’ which cleverly hints at the popular Syrian folk tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Charlotte Maëva Perret brings attention to offline production and "invisible geographies that participate in late capitalism choreographies."
The installation consists of two symbols — towers of soaps and counterfeit leather bags with Alibaba.com branding printed on them. The former product is "made for survival" by "smart business people who have been forced to leave their home country," while the latter signifies big companies that search to connect individuals to factories and the challenges that come with that.
Photo Credits: Kayhan Kaygusuz
Fashion Awareness Installations
Charlotte Maëva Perret Connects Online and Offline Production
Trend Themes
1. Online-offline Integration - Fashion designers can increase brand loyalty and engagement by integrating offline and online channels to create unique interactive experiences like Charlotte Maëva Perret's mixed media installation.
2. Socially Conscious Retail - The ethical retail trend continues to emerge, where socially conscious businesses align their values with projects like Open Sesame to showcase meaningful products to their customers.
3. Narrative Retail Design - Fashion brands can create a narrative around their product through retail design to effectively bring attention to an issue and encourage product engagement.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - Fashion retailers can incorporate socially and politically charged installations like Open Sesame to connect with their customers and promote meaningful products.
2. E-commerce - E-commerce businesses can incorporate socially conscious product lines and initiatives like the one showcased in Open Sesame to align their brand with their values and create meaningful engagement opportunities.
3. Manufacturing - Manufacturers can incorporate ethical practices like employing refugees and supporting local artisans to not only promote impactful products but also bring new opportunities to marginalized regions.