Shang Xia Appoints Home Creative Director
Shang Xia, the Chinese fashion and homeware label owned by Exor, has appointed media veteran Leon Sun as its home creative director.
In his new role, Leon will lead the brand’s home collection and brand development strategy. He spent the past nine years working at the Chinese edition of Elle Decoration as editor in chief and chief content officer.
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He will work with Yang Li, Shang Xia’s fashion creative director, together with Sophia Wu, the brand’s new chief executive officer since July, to “elevate Shang Xia to a new height,” the brand said.
The first home collection designed by Sun will be on sale from April 2023.
“Shang Xia epitomized the spirit of contemporary China. And I always believed that it is our mission and responsibility to create an international brand that is rooted in Chinese traditions, internationally oriented, and belongs to contemporary China,” Sun said.
“It is a challenge but also an exhilarating new start of my career to shed my media identity and be closer to design itself,” he added.
Wu said as a leader in the media industry, Sun has demonstrated “outstanding personal traits such as professionalism, creativity and foresight.
“Over the years he propelled the development of China’s home design and committed to raising the awareness and recognition of oriental aesthetics and cultural confidence among the younger generation, which is consistent with the core DNA of Shang Xia,” she added.
Suzanne Heywood, chair of Shang Xia and managing director of Exor, asserted that Sun’s insight into global trends and audience interest is beyond doubt.
“While keeping pace with the world, the continuous attention to international and Chinese domestic
best practices have also honed Sun’s unique industry sense and excellent discernment,” Heywood said.
Founded in 2010, Shang Xia was created specifically for one of the world’s fastest-growing luxury markets. It was sold to Exor by Hermès International in 2020. Hermès remains a shareholder alongside Exor and Jiang Qiong Er, founder, artistic director and former CEO of the Chinese luxury brand.
