Mimi Beijing Backstage

Mimi Beijing was made in the Lobby of The Far East Hotel in Beijing. The Far East Hotel has a simple and functional interior. One champagne colored leather couch with 4 matching chairs, that’s the only furniture to be found in this lobby. This furniture is humongous and placed against the wall, in a row, leaving enough space to fit 2 busloads of tourists in front of the reception desk. It’s all a bit run down because of old age but it’s a very comfortable place to wait, play, read, have a chat, spend the afternoon or even sleep. The marble floors are shiny and easy to keep clean, they are similar in style to the larger restaurants and shops in Beijing.

The lobby of The Far East Hotel Inspired us, at Mimi Berlin, after an extensive search (seeing many marbled hallways) for the perfect location to photograph our Mimi Beijing Fashion-Fest  group portrait. Hotel lobby’s are always inspiring but we found this hotel lobby the most suitable for our project. Every time we visited the couch and chairs were occupied by at least one person doing something…..like walking through our camera lens.

Since this was a MB Fashion Fest, we just had to dress up everybody! Mimi Berlin did some on the spot styling, keeping in mind that this was a project executed during SALON/Beijing ànd Mimi’s ‘thank you’ gift to the kind students from CAFA: Mimi roamed the local shopping area and the private collections of the founders and  participants of SALON/Beijing. (after she sat for many hours at the porch of the hotel watching and sucking in daily life and it’s fashions pass by)

Styling by Mimi Berlin. Ray is wearing a t-shirt by Martin Butler. Jacket from COS, scarf, bag and floral pants from a local Beijing clothing store. Boots: model’s own.

Viola is wearing a silk knitted top by Conny Groenewegen, skirt by Les Prairies (property of MS) Shoes by Sander Wassink, Viola and Nico.

Richie is wearing a jade green altered kimono, with a glitzy rabbit medaillon, both from a local Beijing store and sneakers by Isabel Marant (property of AJ)

Paris is wearing a silk knitted top by Conny Groenewegen and her own skinny jeans

Rebecca is wearing Dries van Noten (property of MS) and Hugo Boss (property of JWK) Jeans, shoes and jewelry model’s own

June is wearing a vintage floral jumpsuit (property of CG) with a100% silk feel polyester scarf. Jewelry and sneakers: model’s own.

Rex is wearing “Martha’s Vineyard” sweatshirt (property of CK’s ex boyfriend), sunglasses by Ralph Vaessen and a 100% silk feel polyester scarf, from a local Beijing clothing store. Trousers and sneakers: model’s own.

Greg is wearing a silk scarf by youasme-measyou, t-shirt, trousers and shoes: model’s own.

Tom was wearing a t-shirt by Jan Rothuizen, black jeans: model’s own and yellow sneakers (property of GS)