It turns out that I am going to be one of the two non-p1 street style photographers featured at “The Great Style Leap†a large exhibit that will be at the Orange, in Sanlitun, from Dec. 13 to 19. This notice on Business of Fashion even uses some of my photos. The question for me is what the them of my wall at this exhibition should be. P1 has taken over six-million street style photos, mostly in Beijing and Shanghai, over the last 5-6 years. It is the biggest, best funded, street style project in the world.
P1 was able to reach such a scale because it was membership-driven. All of the people they photographed should be part of their social network, and they are collecting the data. They really do deserve praise for making the connection between street style and social networks and then building up the business in China. I am not sure how well it is doing as a social network right now – they were a bit late in going mobile – but the idea remains a brilliant standout from the age of street style. Their exhibition, much like Stylites, will be celebrating the birth individuality in China.
So P1 has a good deal of material from which to select. They are using technology to scan through the images to find the trends that have emerged over the years. I have to find a way to fit into this. I think since their work will be almost entirely visual, my approach may be to provide written introductions to some of the interesting personalities around Beijing. I’ve always hoped that Stylites would be more about the actual people than fashion. Still, I am looking for any ideas in terms of the theme for my section of the exhibit.