The 126-year-old Austrian fashion brand Swarovski shined a new world of crystal wonders at the fourth China International Import Expo, held from Nov 5-10 in Shanghai, as part of its extraordinary journey to make further progress in the Chinese market.

At this year's CIIE, Swarovski displayed its latest retail concept, Wonderlab, and the creative new products of its Collection II series.

Likened to a dreamscape, this colorful presentation and experience took cues from the imagination of Wonderlab－with bold, geometric, and slightly surreal designs－and showcased products across the spectrum of the crystal lifestyle: jewelry, figurines, home decoration, accessories, and more.

From its tactile layout to its color-blocked sectioning and sound design, Swarovski's booth at the fourth CIIE achieved a sense of rich discovery, according to the fashion brand.

"Collection II gives us a chance to dive further into our world of wonders. From a closer look into the muses of the Bohemian movement to the design aesthetic of our Austrian heritage, we're able to enrich our brand story with a modern twist. In this way, each crystal item becomes a microcosm of our world," said Giovanna Engelbert, global creative director of Swarovski.

"The world we're building is one that champions all people, and our aim is to give customers the tools to experiment and create their boldest selves," Engelbert added.

Highlighted with diversified colors of white, blue, green, pink and yellow, Swarovski's booth at the CIIE enabled visitors to experience a world of wonders as a sneak peek into the brand's newest retail store concept, Wonderlab, and an exploration of Collection II.

It's the second consecutive year that Swarovski participated in the CIIE. Tony Wei, managing director of Swarovski Greater China, said it is a great platform to unveil new products and enhance cooperation between China and other countries. It's also a perfect platform to announce the brand's vision for its future in China.

The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Austria. As a century-old family business, Swarovski has witnessed the deepening exchanges and extensive cooperation between the two countries, both involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. China has become Swarovski's largest market in the world since 2019, according to the company.

"China has been a strategic market for Swarovski for many years, and we started to build our ties of business and friendship more than three decades ago, as Swarovski was one of the earliest foreign companies that entered China.

"We are greatly impressed and encouraged by the fast-evolving and energetic consumer market here in China, specifically in the past several years with increasingly important millennial and Generation Z consumers with their highly digitalized consumption habits," Wei said.

Wei's words were echoed by Michele Molon, global CEO ad interim of Swarovski, who said: "Chinese consumers share the same core values of Swarovski: quality, craftsmanship, heritage and innovative design. The vibrant business environment of China drives our enthusiasm to develop innovative products and cultivate our brand for our consumers in China."

While opening a new chapter in the history of its brand in China, Swarovski is set to continue to launch all different products and create immersive retail experiences for the consumers.

In line with Swarovski's ambition in China, a new global-level flagship store will be unveiled in Shanghai as the first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region by the end of this year.

The flagship store is inspired by Swarovski's new brand concept, Wonderlab, and "will be an imaginary world where science and magic meet", according to Wei.

The new store is an evolution of the 27 Instant Wonder stores opened by Swarovski earlier this year and is designed to immerse visitors into a world of creative crystal products, according to the company.

Wei said that as a key market of the brand, Shanghai is the perfect location for the global flagship store to communicate the Wonderlab concept, and the flagship store is expected to help support the development of Shanghai in becoming an international consumption center.

Besides crystal creation, a responsible relationship with people and the planet has always been an integral part of Swarovski's heritage, according to the company.

For instance, the company has established youth-focused education programs and foundations to promote human empowerment and conserve natural resources to achieve positive social impact.

"Sustainability is and has always been a fundamental part of our brand. We live in a world of wonder, which must be carefully protected and pursue a sustainable future," Wei said.

As part of its reinforced sustainability objective, in October, Swarovski published its first annual sustainability report, which consists of six aspects－greenhouse gas emissions, conscious materials, empowerment and education, waste and circular economy, equality, diversity and inclusion and respect for our people.