“Although the exhibition has “Madame Song” in the title, it covers more than just her as an individual”, says Dr. Li, the curator of the exhibition. Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China makes use of Song’s extraordinary life story to cast light on the evolution of art, fashion and popular culture in China from the 1980s to 2000s. The exhibition takes us on that journey through the eyes of the catalyst behind it all. 

The opening section of the exhibition answers the question most are curious about: Who is Madame Song? Born in China in 1937, she studied oil painting in Beijing and Bulgaria where she moved with her Bulgarian husband Maryn Varbanov (1932-1989) and their daughter – the couple’s was the first multicultural marriage since Liberation. In the 1980s, Song joined the business world as the chief representative for French luxury brand Pierre Cardin. From then, she was known was “Madame Song”, the legend who went on to open the Beijing branch of the Paris-based restaurant Maxim’s, train the first generation of Chinese supermodels and introduce a forward-thinking way of life all over China. 

Madame Song’s credentials extend to acting in “The Last Emperor” from which she began to promote Chinese traditional costume to the global stage. In her later years, she partook in planning the Chinese opera 「五朝霓裳」.

Not only did she bring the world to China, she introduced China to the world. 

Hence, it is impossible to sum up Madame Song’s identity in a single title: she was an artist, designer, model, actress, and at the same time a visionary businesswoman, fashion mogul and pioneering creative.