Much like a craftsman forging a masterpiece from disparate elements, Xuan Xu’s path to experiential design is a mix of contrasts, tradition, innovation, and pragmatism meeting spirituality. Her story is one of resilience, adaptation, and relentless pursuit of creative excellence. In this exclusive interview, we unravel the layers of Xu’s story, exploring the intersections of culture, identity, and artistic expression in her journey from East to West and back again.
The forceful element of originality is drama…
Xuan Xu
FAB: How do you balance the influence of your German upbringing with the artistic traditions of your Chinese heritage in your experiential design work?
Xuan Xu: I think outside the box; it is quite complex. But if you look at every detail of my life, you will understand. Let’s talk about my Chinese and German. I believe that both cultures provide me with unique gifts and skills. My Chinese family, particularly my parents, are artistic. Very culturally minded. Both of my parents are Chinese artists. My mother is a Chinese opera actress. My father is a martial arts master. On that side, it is incredibly artistic and spiritual. Everything about the meaning of art is how to die. There are etiquette and rules that come from my Chinese heritage. I grew up seeing my mom teach Chinese. Also, my grandma was teaching me about how tea is served. These are all related to art and culture. Everything in my family is surrounded by love, art, and the love of culture—everything that’s a luxury.
Later, I started to understand why I appreciate art and design. That includes fashion. All my love for, say, exclusivity and highly artistic and crafted items stems from my family. For example, in Chinese opera, each movement and costume has a significance. They have significance, such as whether the crown has seven crystals for submission or whether the crowns have five—everything has a meaning and a story. Germany is, for me, a land of art too. The pro side of my education and German upbringing is learning to structure things and to focus more on efficiency. Also, what I love about the German side of me is my communication and educational background. The language, as well as the system, is very pragmatic and very structured.
From China to Germany, How it all began for Xuan Xu
FAB: What was the turning point that made you transition from business consultancy to founding Xuan Xu Co., Ltd., and what were the initial challenges you faced?
Xuan Xu: Again, coming from a very artistic family, my parents are very good at their art, but they’re not very good at the art of sustainable living. So when we moved to Germany, there was no stage for Chinese Opera. There’s no stage for martial arts. My mother was always complaining about moving to Germany. Germany has its own Berlin fashion, but it’s nothing like what they were used to. That’s why I moved to Italy. I was seeing my parents struggling with what they’re extremely good at. Let’s put it this way: They had the best cake, but what we needed was bread. It was a very tough period. I grew up in a very tough environment. I started working when I was 15. I have learned the hard way that if I want to have a stable life, I need to learn something that is more stable.
In Germany, it’s all about cars. They have industry in Germany, and everything is about a structure, process, project, or you are in the car industry. Even when I was studying, I tried to find a balance between the two. I started business administration with marketing communication, and for my Masters degree, I did brand management. It was still mostly touching the creative side. I appreciate how the German education system actively breaks down strategies. This is something that I think is number one in Germany. When you want to reach the market, you have very logical thinking. How do we channel our strategy to reach a wide range of people? This is the German card of logical structure and strategic thinking: creative thinking, but in a strategic way.
And then I went into consulting. That was already a little spiritual. One part was that I wanted to have a good life. As a young woman of 24, I didn’t want to struggle as an artist like my parents. So I got into consulting. I wanted to go into something that was more stable. I was always very ambitious. I wanted to do the most difficult and challenging thing. At that time, consultancy had been labelled as hard work that you couldn’t make a good living from or level up your career with. Also at that time, my professor at my master’s degree said, “Well, why don’t you go to this company that has opportunities in Asia?” But I always knew I wanted international opportunities. My dream was to travel around the world. That was in my mind; that was the life I had imagined.
Also, there is a spiritual and emotional reason why I went into consulting. And that is because when I went to interview for my thesis with a company that specialised in finance and banking, a very niche company, they said it has a project in backup in Germany. I agreed to an internship for six months. The bank has a community and play background. At that time, I didn’t know why, but I was very drawn to it. I got to work here because this is my opportunity to come back up with bank outreach. Even if consulting has not been taught in all the things I have done, I will learn. This is my mindset as an artist, as an entrepreneur, as a human, and as a woman. I never shy away from taking risks. I think as long as I am healthy and as long as I’m hardworking, I can learn everything. Nothing can stop me from getting what I want. So that’s why I went into consulting. It was a business consultancy.
My position was as a project management officer with a bit of a perspective on becoming a project manager. But my work basically was to educate myself in managing projects, how to handle every kind of project, and how to break it down into parts. My boss got answers, slides, and the LFF. You have a topic, and you have a goal. How do I set the goal? What is the scope? What is out of scope? It’s more like a tool to understand the process and the project. I started off with this, which is also useful because if I learned it, I would be able to handle any projects. Whether it is tyre production, setting up a construction project, or doing actual production.
During that time, it was really tough because every day of my work was just sitting in the office, flipping Excel spreadsheets. I have learned a lot of things that a random artistic person could never learn. This is what I’m thankful for—that I learned how to structure creative paths.
I believe originality comes from not reinventing the wheel but mixing different elements you have everywhere to recreate something. It’s a remixing of something traditional with something groundbreaking and new
Xuan Xu
FAB: Your company has a strong focus on storytelling and brand communication. Is there any example of how a story has shaped one of your projects from concept to execution?
Xuan Xu: Let’s take one of my favourite projects, also one of my biggest and artistically most successful projects. I think that represents every element of me, from my artistic background to consulting to everything I have done. That’s like the best showcase project. It’s “more fast.” More Fast is about China. I built it from 2017 to 2019, showing all that they did. That project is one of my dream projects. First of all, it is in China. I always wanted to go back to my Asian roots. I always envision many of those manifesting into a big project in China, and that happened. It is inside a busy hotel in a very prestigious, exclusive area. This is on the rooftop of the computer hotel.
When we got approached by China Ocean, they said, Well, we want to do a new bill of our year in China. For me, what’s important is to connect with local roots. So I look into the areas, like, What is the interesting story of that region? Long before the place was already developed, I already looked into the inspiration of that sort for every project like that. Whether it’s in fashion or not, I always look into the inspiration of each location. This also applies to the brand. What is a brand story? My idea is to always look into the origin of every project.
There is the legend of the white snake. The legend of the white snake is an interesting Chinese legend about the two spirit white snakes and how they turn into human features. The white snake is a female spirit. People are in love with humans, and they have children, but there’s a lot of drama and then how they manifest it. I always love the historically legendary females, and I’m very sure I’m very different. I’m always inspired by that.
The second one was for butterfly lovers. It’s another love story about another woman who disguised herself in ancient China as a man to be able to receive an education, and no one ever noticed. She could disguise herself as a guy, and her best friend was a guy too; they were really like best buddies. She fell in love with him. He didn’t know she was a woman. Later, when they found out they were so madly in love, they wanted to marry, but they were of different social status. They could not marry. Long story short, he died. She died. It’s a Chinese equivalent of Romeo and Juliet. When he died, she jumped into his grave. And out of this grave, butterflies were flying out. “We cannot look together, but we can die together.” It is a very romantic story.
There is a certain one about a river in the city. So, as you can see from this region, we have street inspiration. At that time, I had an interior designer. I was the exterior designer, and he was the interior designer. I asked him to pick a story, and he picked the butterfly lovers. This was the origin of how I chose my theme and set a team for the interior, lighting, costumes, and furniture. On this project, we had Germans, Chinese, Thais, Hungarians, Australians, and so many other nations. My goal was to bring together artists from different cultural backgrounds and timelines through their skills. The artistic background from my family, the storytelling, and my German education came together.
For the story, we had to add creative twists to it. We did not want to tell this story from a hundred years ago blandly. We added creative twists and created science fiction out of it. We completely wrote a fictional story. Chinese people believe in reincarnation. So we added that part. We created a new story that we know will resonate with the local audience.
Xuan Xu and Her Creative Process
FAB: On this project, you worked with Germans, Chinese, Thais, Hungarians, Australians, and so many others. How do you select the artists and artisans for your projects? Is there a particular criteria?
Xuan Xu: How I choose those I work with is something logical, emotional, and spiritual. How do I fit this all together? As a Chinese person, I am a very spiritual person. I believe in the divine orchestration of meeting people you’re supposed to meet. When I meet someone, I always pay attention to what their art is about. They might be artists doing particular art, but they also might be something else. I always try to recognise what they are, especially good at. This is number one—the spiritual encounters. I always pay attention. Sometimes I meet people for five years, and when I have a party, I remember that the person could be useful.
The number two is emotional. I always pay attention. When it comes to art, I look out for people who are heavily passionate about their work. This project is about creating something that lasts, creating something that is fundamentally different, and it needs to touch people’s feelings. I also need to work with very emotional, passionate artists. I treat things with logic, meaning, can this person deliver this? Will this person be able to do things on this scale? Do they fit with the team? Can this person communicate? These are the major things that I also pay attention to.
Now, I also look online to find the right people. Also, because I travel a lot, I do so many things already that I come across many interesting personalities. That’s how it is for me. I’m looking for the Avengers.
I have learned the hard way that if I want to have a stable life, I need to learn something that is more stable
Xuan Xu
Fashion, Hospitality, and Retail Leading in Experiential Design
FAB: The COVID-19 pandemic affected many industries, including experiential design. How did it impact your business, and what strategies did you employ to adapt and continue delivering immersive experiences?
Xuan Xu: When you look at experiential design, it’s a journey, an experience. Maybe the easiest explanation for someone who doesn’t know what this means is to imagine you making a movie come alive. You can start watching a movie; you are part of the movie. It’s an immersive experience. That’s what I do. I script a story, I design a set-up, and everyone—the guests who come in—experiences it. That’s always the easiest explanation.
When you look at that, it’s a very pioneering, very advanced area. To do this, you must also apply a technique and design for those businesses that are in need of experience. Right now, we only have a few. Let’s say five industries need experience. It’s art, fashion, food and beverage, and hospitality/tourism, which I have been doing a lot in backup. That’s how it all started, with designing clubs, restaurants, etc. And then, sports. Sport is very industrious.
So the first one, which is food and beverage, is where I have extensive experience, followed by fashion, because fashion is an industry that is always moving fast; you always need the latest. And fashion is also the same. Fashion is the pioneer because fashion sets trends, right? The biggest trend is fashion. That’s why number two in the creative industry must be fashion. When I left Bangkok, I turned my head to fashion because fashion has always been part of that work. The number three is hospitality/tourism.
And number four is retail. Retail already touches points with fashion, touch retail, and exhibition art. These are the five areas where I have expertise. When you look at my work, I have something to do for food and beverage. I have something for fashion that I’m doing right now. Tourism is in my content, not as an experience, but I have this kind of interactive experience with it. And then, in retail, I have not done anything yet, but this is something that I would like to do. In the exhibition, in the trade show, I did with Today’s Future; that is where I have involved art and experience. These are the five big industries that should be leading in experience.
Actually, I did travel for the luxury train Eastern Oriental Express, which is part of the LMEVH show. Experiential design is very innovative in the technology area. Gaming is also one of them, so we’re six industries. It is in very innovative areas and has high-end luxury exclusivity. Luxury is something that doesn’t convince people. It’s about emotion. It’s about the crime. It’s about details. You need to showcase the emotion, the details, the craft of it, and the culture of it. When I travelled to Italy, I was fully loved. Italy is where I see all this exclusivity, craft, art, and exhibition—Milan, to be specific. All of these together provide experiential design in this particular area. For fashion, it should be in Paris or Milan.
FAB: You’ve travelled to fashion and design capitals post-COVID-19 to survey the latest trends. How does this material come into play in your work, especially when you still need to maintain originality?
Xuan Xu: First of all, we have to see how I’ve defined my work over the last two years because, in the last two years, I did very little experiential design. I decided to space things. What I was designing was on me. A lot of people perceive me as an influencer. I call myself a fashion artist. I took that as my work, especially producing content. My work was as a fashion artist, wearing garments and interacting with brands. My work was mostly focused on presenting them as content on my social media platform. If that is considered, what is the originality?
Secondly, I believe originality comes from not reinventing the wheel but mixing different elements you have everywhere to recreate something. It’s a remixing of something traditional with something groundbreaking and new. You put this together, and it’s an evolution. I’ll give you an example. You have seen my Kimono jumpsuit, right? It is a traditional, highly crafted, quality item. I give them a modern twist and deconstruct them into a jumpsuit. This is the culmination of something traditional and something new. This is original.
Another original one is my cork outfit. Cork material has been used in interior design. It’s a remix of what I have learned in interior design. I see this material has also been used for bags, which is an accessory. Also, because I have to heavily produce a lot of costumes, I know the principles of the material. Here is again my German thinking.
German thinking focuses more on abstraction. When I look at things, my creativity also comes from abstraction. I explore the philosophy or the principles behind an idea. I abstract the principle and apply it somewhere else. If a material is applicable in interior design to a bag, it’s also applicable from the bag to a garment. So I’m using something existing and making something new. You see this a lot in my designs. Here is a cap. She used materials that are so unique, but they have been used somewhere else. Whether her part glass, the water glass, a gown, or something else.
Another aspect of originality is mixing cultures. You know, the Asian, East, and Midwest cultures. The forceful element of originality is drama. I come from a performance-artistic family. That means a lot of times, we do shows. All the big brands that I’m very in love with are drama theatrical: John Bococci, Rick Olens, Mezzanarigella, and Joe Galliano. I like the art; that’s what passionately provokes my emotions. In my art, the originality is always the mix. There’s always a mix of complex sources. I want it to be sustainable. I want it to be artistic. I want it to be innovative. I want it to be multicultural. Every time, my outfits reflect this. I always try to maximise different layers.
Why I do Experiential Design
FAB: The immersive entertainment industry is known for its heavy environmental impact, particularly in terms of excessive energy consumption and waste generation. What is your brand’s approach to sustainability in terms of the design process, and what measures do you take to minimise the ecological footprint of your events?
Xuan Xu: Let me give you a little bit of another reason why I do experience design. Maybe we are not talking about ecological footprints. Let’s take fashion as an example. This is from my academic background. When we look into how things have developed in the economy in the past 70 years, first it was commodities, like products, that were important in the 1950s. What matters about the product are its qualities. Then the next step was the features. How many features does a product have? That was important to the people, and then came the service. So, this is the development or evolution of brands, right? And then comes communication to talk about the product; then comes the emotional communication of the product.
This is the era where we have been since 2000, or even a little earlier, especially for luxury products. It’s about the emotion. How does it make you feel? Do you feel desired or perfect? Do you feel acknowledged or celebrated? We’re talking about luxury products. Do you feel you have made a lot of achievements? Now the math has achieved this emotional communication.
What’s next is the experience. The experience is: How do you make it feel? How do you make it memorable? How do you make it think and talk about it? This is experiential design. And this experience can have a profound positive impact. At least it’s what I want to believe. I think it’s one of both.
One of the biggest problems in fashion is fast fashion. Fast fashion still goes about looking fancy. Fast fashion satisfies the needs of consumers. If you ever know black flow, it is the layer of achievement—how you can be perceived as fancy, how you can be perceived as successful. The more garments you have, the more success you can see. But with black flow, there is more attachment. Let’s say you have a shirt that you bought for 20 euros. You can buy 20 of them. There’s no story; it’s just that you have 20 different shirts, each for 20 euros. It’s like, yeah, 400 euros, right? It’s fast fashion. The industry struggles to always be cheaper. That’s like the economy of Brooks. Others can produce faster and cheaper, but the moment you start to tell the story, you trigger another need.
The need is the most important action; the need models the product. So there’s this one shirt. This one shirt was designed by a person who has had a family tradition of making the best shirt for five centuries. The textiles are exclusively, ecologically, and locally grown. Let’s take it to Italy. They have one of the best lands, using the newest innovative technology for production. But most importantly, this shirt only expresses 100 pieces of exclusivity. And the person who did this made a promise to his father. It’s a fix of a story: he says that if I take over our family as your son, I will vote with our company, and I promise you, we will not come to you with all the fast fashion in allocating our factories to cheaper commodities. I will bring your legacy to a new level. I will work hard for it. I will make you proud of the only standing production company doing this here.
And he kept his promise, so every shirt he wears has a very spiritual and emotional attribute. The elements of tradition, innovation, and emotional story all come together. Maybe then you have someone who is looking for just values. How much do you think this sort of thing is worth? How much are you willing to pay for this? There is nothing more about the shirt that makes you look good. It’s about the value. I will pay a lot for this shirt because it represents something that is so much higher than the look. And if you have more products that have values that are not open, you have this as a spiritual value as a human. How do you want to be a human? For sure, you can be sustainable because you only need to produce a few pieces. And maybe a person will pay 400 euros for that one shirt.
That, for me, is the difference between fast fashion and sustainable fashion. Now, our spirituality comes into play. You need to be able to communicate all of this. If this were an exhibition, I would design an exhibition that tells the family history. I would have to stand to showcase the technology, at least. I would probably do a movie about the last conversation, maybe between the father and son or the father and daughter. Maybe there would be a diary, maybe there would be a letter, or maybe there would be a testament to the father. There are different things you can produce to support this story and how you communicate it. This is just one example, but this also applies to vintage fashion.
You can use any type of asset I mentioned earlier. You can have a film in 3D or in real life. It’s also a fairy tale, right? When you see all these designers, Merkler. Merkler was highly inspired by the artwork. So it’s art; it’s communication. This is how it comes together. When you know the value of each individual item through different touch points for communication, then it will be sustainable because you understand the value so much.
People are always willing to pay more. When they understand having access to knowledge, having access to meaning, having access to culture, and secondly, when they have a personal value of this. Most emotional values prevail over the other values. But we’re talking about the exclusive area, not other areas. I’m talking about my work; that’s why I’m saying my position is more on the luxury side, more on the higher end. In the end, not everyone can afford this; there is no point in doing this. You need to also be very realistic. As I should remember, I understand that there are certain pieces that are fast. And today, it’s less sustainable. For me, it’s like we can make money, but on the level of sustainability. That’s what I want to achieve.
Addressing the environmental impact of immersive experiences is integral to my design philosophy. Sustainability isn’t just an afterthought; it’s embedded in the process from the beginning. Here’s how I approach it:
- Material Selection: I prioritise sustainable materials that are either recycled or can be easily recycled after use. This reduces waste and the demand for virgin resources.
- Energy Efficiency: Wherever possible, I incorporate energy-efficient technologies and practices in the setup and running of events. This includes using LED lighting, optimising energy use in audiovisual equipment, and ensuring that any temporary structures are energy-efficient.
- Waste Reduction: I design experiences with a clear plan for waste management. This involves minimising single-use elements, ensuring proper waste sorting and recycling, and using digital rather than physical media where effective.
- Vendor Collaboration: I work closely with suppliers and vendors who also prioritise sustainability. This collective effort amplifies the positive impact of our practices across the board.
- Legacy and Reusability: I consider the lifecycle of the installations and materials used. For example, I design components that can be repurposed or donated post-event to minimise the one-time use impact.
By integrating these practices, my aim is to reduce the ecological footprint of my events significantly, proving that immersive experiences can be both awe-inspiring and environmentally responsible. Stay up to date on the newest in the world of Fashion, Arts, Beauty and Lifestyle; Follow FAB on Instagram.
Xuan Xu on Experiential Design and Mental Health
FAB: Fantastic! There is also concern about mental health. Some argue that the proliferation of immersive experiences contributes to the “attention economy,” where individuals are constantly bombarded with sensory stimuli and distractions. How are you addressing concerns about the potential negative effects of immersive technologies on mental health and well-being?
Xuan Xu: This is crucial. Mental health was a concern even before the frequent use of immersive technologies. Originally, platforms like Instagram were created for artists and individuals to showcase and share their work, not to induce stress or anxiety. Mental health issues aren’t caused by the platforms themselves, but by how they are used. As an artist and a designer, I use these platforms to educate and inspire. For example, by promoting sustainability and mindfulness through my projects, I aim to provoke thought and encourage a deeper connection to the art, reducing the superficial engagement that can lead to mental strain.
Furthermore, in my projects, I focus on creating meaningful content that encourages reflection and introspection, not just passive consumption. This approach aims to mitigate the overwhelming effects of constant stimulation by fostering a more meaningful interaction with the content.
FAB: Another controversy is that the immersive experience industry caters primarily to affluent consumers, further exacerbating socioeconomic inequality. How are you addressing concerns about accessibility and affordability in your projects?
Xuan Xu: Very good question. Yes, I do aim to design experiences that are accessible for everyone. However, from where I am now, as I’ve said, I’m coming from the top down. If I am at the top, where I have influence, resources, and solutions, I can create change that benefits more people broadly. If I’m at the bottom, no matter what I do, I’ll likely impact a smaller circle.
For now, I need to reach the top because I believe that some aspects of experiential design, while currently exclusive, can have broader societal benefits. As I progress, my goal is to give back more significantly, possibly through a foundation supporting artists and individuals without financial resources, and focus on projects that enhance community well-being and foster inclusive experiences.
Fun Zone: #FABFastFive
FAB: What’s your go-to source of inspiration when starting a new fashion project?
Xuan Xu: Travel and culture are my wellsprings of inspiration. I immerse myself in local traditions, art, and history, which provide a rich tapestry of ideas that I can weave into my designs.
FAB: One fashion icon you’d love to collaborate with?
Xuan Xu: I would be thrilled to collaborate with Thiery Mugler.
FAB: Which city, in your experience, leads the way in experiential fashion design?
Xuan Xu: London stands out for its blend of historical richness and avant-garde fashion. It’s a city where experimental and experiential design are encouraged and celebrated, making it a leader in this field.
FAB: If you had to decide right now between working in consulting or as an experiential designer, which would you choose?
Xuan Xu: Without a doubt, experiential design. It allows me to merge my creativity with my strategic thinking, creating immersive experiences that resonate on a deeper emotional level.”
FAB: Could you describe your design style in three words?
Xuan Xu: Innovative, immersive, and transformative. These three words encapsulate my approach to design, where each piece or experience is crafted to change perceptions and challenge norms.
Photo Credits:
Antonio Mocchetti
Irene Gittarelli
Ke Wang
Keaidkumchai Tongpai
M Beron
Maggie choo
Polina Mordvinova
Tom
Sing SingGroup Performer
