Thomas Erber created his Cabinet de Curiosités with a firmly contemporary vision. After working in media for the last fifteen years exploring new trends and creations, traveling the world in search of unheard of places and emerging movements, he now covers all the fields of the lifestyle he is passionate about. These include fashion, accessories, jewelry, premium watchmaking, shoes, design, pop art, as well as travel, music and eroticism.
Le Cabinet de Curiosités of Thomas Erber heralds a vision of luxury, which concentrates on true "know-how" rather than a "know-how-to-sell". His guests, whose talents are recognized worldwide, are therefore independent actors claiming their independence as the driving force of their creation. About forty artists are involved each year and create unique pieces especially for this occasion, demonstrating and glorifying their savoir-faire.
Le Cabinet de Curiosités is also a journey with photographers- whom Eber has met through his work in music and collaborations, and musicians who will perform a private concert on the opening night. In parallel to the event, a range of extensions are created such as the exhibition catalogue, which acts as a milestone for the entire project.
In essence: this exhibition is a life-size curiosity wringing the neck of luxury’s rampant standardization and the common preconceptions that lead us to believe that everything must look the same to exist…
The first edition of Le Cabinet de Curiosités of Thomas Erber took place in December 2010 at colette in Paris; the 2011 edition at Browns in London; the 2012 edition at Andreas Murkudis in Berlin. The fourth edition will be held this December in New York at the Maison Kitsuné store and NoMad Hotel.
Le Cabinet de Curiosités of Thomas Erber travels the world on the lookout for talented designers and daring brands, characterized by their unique expertise as well as their independence.
In the worlds of fashion, jewelry, watchmaking, design, art, travel, music, literature and eroticism, his desire is to:
If you are interested in a piece hereby presented, please contact Thomas Erber directly at thomas@erber.fr.
CABINET DE CURIOSITÉS OF THOMAS ERBER 2014
At Central Embassy
Since opening its door, Central Embassy has singlehandedly reshaped the luxury retail landscape of modern Bangkok, its formidable structure a home to over 200 high-end fashion and lifestyle flagships. Amongst them is SIWILAI, the multi-brand concept who is servicing the city with its own vision of an alternative retail format. Though separate entities, both SIWILAI and Central Embassy are constantly on the look out for unique experiences that can be shared, exchanged and evolved multifold by each and every one of their visitors. Their mutual affinity for the arts and urban cultures has made them the definitive platforms for cross-disciplinary collaborations with artists from home and abroad.
Kicking off the year-end festivities, SIWILAI is proud to present the fifth edition of Thomas Erber's famed Le Cabinet de Curiosites, an annual traveling arts-cum-artifacts show that has been hosted in Paris, London, Berlin and New York. This year, with Central Embassy as his venue of choice, Erber will be unveiling over 70 specially commissioned limited edition pieces, created by both local and international artists. To celebrate the exhibition's first-ever arrival in Asia, SIWILAI will be hosting a multi-faceted lifestyle festival, featuring yet another session in its beloved SIWILAI Tour series, with both homegrown and world-class music acts lighting up the city on three separate nights. As no celebration would be complete without some seriously good food, SIWILAI is more than happy to oblige with several evenings of gastronomical adventures at the Okura Prestige, helmed by a handful of the world's most celebrated chefs, who will also be reinventing the lunch menu at SIWILAI Rocket Coffeebar for the duration of the festival.
An international affair tailor-made for Bangkok, ‘SIWILAI Presents Le Cabinet de Curiosities at Central Embassy’ invites audiences everywhere to come and express themselves, and engage with one other—and their city—in new and unprecedented ways.
This year Le Cabinet de Curiosités of Thomas Erber is in Asia, hosted by Siwilai Concept Store & Central Embassy.
The scenography will be made by the Parisian agency Diplomates, a pluridisciplinary Studio concerned by the conceptualization of tailor made projects within Visual Arts, Design and Architecture. With works revealed at the “Chalet Society” (Paris), Dover Street Market (London) and clients such as Adam Kimmel, Damir Doma or H&M, the studio has come to be known for it’s specialization in unique environment and spatial intervention.
For le Cabinet de Curiosités de Thomas Erber at Siwilai and Central Embassy in Bangkok, Diplomates will apply an in-site specific methodology where installation, micro-architecture or set-design will allow the public an original experience of scenography and objects presentation. Within the context of Siwilai & Central Embassy, Diplomates wish to create a strong intervention, where their original ADN & aesthetic can meet local inspiration & realities.
> View more pictures
Thomas Erber is one of the leading trend-setters of our time. Actively participating in the launch of l’Optimum and Jalouse, he later founded l’Officiel Voyage, became chief editor of the lifestyle supplement for newspaper Le Monde and a reporter for Vogue Homme International.
As a rock critic, special correspondent and journalist in the fields of culture, trends and travels, he has collaborated with many other publications. His twelve or so years in journalism have lead him to write more than 500 stories and portraits across the world, building an international network of creators.
Today, he associates with highly recognized brands and designers for special events and offers consulting services to international groups such as Richemont, Pernod-Ricard, Kuoni, BMW, etc.
Every year, he continues to develop with passion his internationally acclaimed cabinet of curiosities in the world’s most prestigious cities.
www.cdc-te.com
The multi-brand retail concept SIWILAI takes its name from the Thai word SIWILAI, derived from the English ‘civilized.’ Inspired by this expression and its connotations of progress and development, SIWILAI was created to be a physical platform equipped with thoughtfully curated goods, services and, most importantly, experiences that stimulate self-expression and encourage the growth and exchange of new ideas. Like the river that spurred it, SIWILAI will be an intersection of culture and commerce, of international trends in local contexts. It signifies a continual step forward into the contemporary culture while maintaining a firm grasp on our Thai roots and identity.
Like Thailand itself, SIWILAI has the dynamic energy of a bustling marketplace and the serene sophistication of an internation purveyor. It’s a modern Thai marketplace with historical trading post roots : a crossroads for culture and couture, rich in local Thai tradition and a carefully curated selection of the world’s best fresh fashion.
SIWILAI is the first distinctly Thai retail marketplace, sharing international fashion that compliments the Thai lifestyle in a uniquely curated retail experience. It will be known for bringing together the excitement and trends of pan-Asia, NYC, and Europe, mirroring the fast-paced change of pop-culture and socio-political tide shifts worldwide.
Behind this ambitious 5th edition of Le Cabinet de Curiosités of Thomas Erber hides a strong and creative relationship between Thailand, Asia and France, a multinational team who have braved daring originality and a n international creative network in the worlds of luxury gastronomy, fashion, music, design, art, photography, films, events and more.
This team has bridged the West and East in order to bring you CDC-TE 2014.
Thomas Erber (Founder)
Barom Bhicharnchitr (SIWILAI director)
Jean-Alexandre Luciani (CDC Asia Partner)
Paul-Dominique Win Vacharasinthu (CDC Asia Partner)
Margot Roolant (Project Manager)
Lucy Tallo (Press Agent)
Armelle Laffererie (Iconographic Director)
Victoire Schneider (Thomas Erber P.A.)
Hervé Frerard (Local Food Consultant)
Andrea Petrini (Thomas Erber Food Advisor)
Lars Kruger (Thomas Erber Music Advisor)
Jonathan Miltat (Thomas Erber Music Advisor)
Samuel GW (Graphic Designer)
AND MANY MORE (ON REQUEST)
The collaboration of “Le Cabinet de Curiosités of Thomas Erber” and SIWILAI Concept Store is based on their mutual goals and values that provide a platform for aspiring and exceptional design talents and labels from the fields of fashion, design, high jewelry and many more. It also marks a milestone for this still young Concept Store, as it opens its doors and welcomes an international audience to their Luxury Retail Project - Central Embassy - a new trademark of the skyline of the city Bangkok that has established itself as enrichment to the local, yet international high-end retail environment and therefore fits perfectly into the concept of “Le Cabinet de Curiosités of Thomas Erber”.
Meet the music tour with a twist. To save you circling the globe for a peep at your favourite act, SIWILAI has done the legwork and is bringing the music to you. SIWILAI Tour is a travelling showcase featuring handpicked artists from all around the world with musical stylings are that perfectly in-tune with the SIWILAI ethos. Expect the freshest takes on live performances and unprecedented collaborations between big-name musicians and the SIWILAI brand, where great tunes meet fashion, art and moving image on one pulsating platform.
Central Embassy, both influential and original, is the project that introduces Thailand to a global audience of tastemakers and opinion formers while the stunning architecture is changing the skyline of Bangkok.
With strong links to art and urban culture inherent throughout the development, Central Embassy will be the new retail and style face of Thailand, anchored by a forward thinking ethos that aims to educate, stimulate and delight.
www.centralembassy.com
For any press inquiries, please email : lucy@pr-ticular.com
“This mundane jack-a-while presents a beautiful Cabinet of Curiosities at Colette until the end of December, carefully selected with his sharp eye for luxury”
Le Monde - FR
“Thomas Erber shows that luxury is about singularity not about standardization”
The New York Times - US
“A succesful modern version of an old concept”
Herald Tribune - UK
“No stuffed animals or old dried seafood, but a luxurious selection combining fashion, design, accessories, photos, eroticism .. Erber appreciates the profiles outside the norm.”
Le Figaro - FR
“The boutique Colette gives a wild card to the journalist, critic, poet and explorer of new trends, Thomas Erber, who introduces ultra-contemporary objects”
Beaux Arts - FR
“THE finest objet d’arts from the worlds of fashion, art, design and travel have collided for a new project, Cabinet de curiosité, showcased at Browns and curated by brand and fashion consultant Thomas Erber.”
Vogue - UK
“A sort of private collection that gives luster to all artists, designers and writers that shape beauty while remaining faithful to the independence and to a limited number”
Vogue - IT
“Thomas Erber has invited 31 designer to create something properly special that best shows off the breadth and dept of their creative wares”
Vanity Fair - UK
“Apart from anything else, everything is a on-off, made specially for this venture, and only those with the most energetic interest in the creative crafts are likely to have come across any of the creator before.”
Financial Times - UK
> Click here to download/preview a selection of the CDC-TE top publications
Copyright 2014 • All Rights Reserved • LE CABINET DE CURIOSITÉS OF THOMAS ERBER - SIWILAI