To mark its centenary, Loro Piana published Master of Fibres, a book tracing the Italian house’s history and its longstanding relationship with some of the world’s finest natural fibers. A recent exhibition at Loro Piana’s Cheongdam Maison in Seoul offered a closer look at the stories behind it.

The exhibition explored the family behind the brand, its early beginnings and the origins of pieces that remain part of Loro Piana’s collections today. Archival photographs of fiber-producing regions, animals and local producers offered a glimpse into the work that takes place long before a finished garment reaches the store.

What I found particularly interesting, however, was the way the exhibition made use of the maison itself. Beginning at the entrance, the displays led visitors through the women’s collection on the first floor and continued upstairs. Rather than setting aside a separate gallery, Loro Piana incorporated the exhibition into the store’s existing layout.

This meant that visitors could move between archival material and the current collections, seeing the brand’s history alongside the products on the shelves. It was a simple but effective way of presenting a century of textile expertise within the setting of a working boutique.