"YOU haven't seen Christmas until you go to Pavilion KL!" The words, excitedly uttered by my best friend every time Christmas looms, ring in my ear as I descend the mall's signature Spanish Steps leading to the centre court.
Barely able to contain my gasp, I allow my gaze to sweep the resplendent vista of a magical wonderland. Around me, throngs of people are busy creating memories, posing for pictures against the impressive backdrop and marvelling at the magnificence of the scene before them.
Unlike last year where gold pervaded, in line with the theme Golden Christmas Memories, which paid homage to the charm and magic of a traditional European Christmas, this year the mall, synonymous for its elaborate decorations and themed Christmas festivities, is ushering visitors to step into an enchanting Mystical Christmas (ends Jan 2).
Walking into the heart of the "snow village", I spy the more ubiquitous elements of Christmas decorations, like jolly snowmen, festive reindeers, mystical fairies and, of course, the Christmas tree.
Pavilion's offering is a stunning 9m fairy tree that nestles between lush poinsettia gardens and a whole host of sparkling trees. As with past years, there are some charming quaint stalls selling various festive goodies for customers to choose from.
"Must not forget to catch the installation outside," I remind myself, recalling that this year, the brand is showcasing the largest Coach "Give A Little Love" Bespoke Holiday Installation, featuring numerous animals, including an adorable giant Coach Holiday polar bear walking along a snowy landscape around the mall's iconic Crystal Fountain
BRINGING BACK THE MAGIC
"Did you see the moving fairies?" The question, posed with palpable enthusiasm, slices through my thoughts and whips me back to the present, where I'm in the company of Lee Chee Hoe, Pavilion's head of visual merchandising, and Shanen Lau, the mall's general manager of marketing, in a café in the centre court overlooking the mystical Christmas wonderland.
Lee, looking dapper in his fetching shirt worn under a James Bond-esque, Benedict-blue blazer, is in charge of design, creation and décor. Having been with Pavilion for over 11 years, he's familiar with the changing "faces" of the mall's festive offerings. "You can say I've done 11 Christmases with Pavilion," he exclaims with mirth.
A graphic design graduate, the Kampar-born Lee has tasted life in several industries, beginning from printing to fashion retail. But it's decorating shopping malls that gives him the biggest pleasure.
Shares Lee: "Shopping malls are a bigger playground, which makes it more fun. And challenging! With a mall, you need to consider many elements as we're catering to different levels of people with different kinds of expectations and dreams."
The brainstorming for this year's Christmas theme, which also includes the participation of the top-level management team, took place almost a year ago. "It's always about 12 months ahead. We finish one Christmas and we're already thinking about what to do for the next Christmas," admits Lee, with a chuckle.
Her head bobs in concurrence as Shanen chips in: "We'll look at the environment and the sentiment of the market, as well as what the trends would be for the next 12 months. Like with this year's theme, we knew that everyone had been in lockdown and that there's been so much uncertainties. So, we wanted to create a magical experience — a wonderland — that people could look forward to coming back to."
Adding, she elaborates: "It was important for us to create a more positive energy all round. That's how we arrived at the Mystical Christmas theme. Last year, the angle was Golden Memories, where we took a more nostalgic approach. We wanted to get people to recall the Christmas feelings of the past. This year, it's different. After the lockdown, we wanted people to return feeling joyful and bring magic into people's lives again."
Pointing to where a lone fairy is sitting atop a roof, Shanen adds: "We use fairies this year to evoke that magical feeling. See how we have used motion to bring to life all these mystical forest creatures. For example, some of the animals, and also the snowman, are interactive. They come alive!"
LESSONS FROM THE PAST
Much is learnt from looking back at past offerings. Especially those that seem to resonate with the public. "Things with motion tend to be very popular," shares Lee, adding that good lighting is also important to create the right mood.
"This year, we've upped our game in terms of the design and actual experience," he adds, before pointing to a Christmas tree not far from where we are, and saying: "See that? Do you see how the gigantic flower and ornaments are lit around it? The lights look like they're moving and changing. We've also created a more 360-degree experience where there are things happening in every 'pocket', so wherever you turn, there'll always be something to see and do. It's truly an exploratory journey."
Customers' needs and expectations certainly have evolved. In the past, people were satisfied with uncomplicated décor. These days, thanks to the advent of social media, where feeding Instagram seems to be the norm, we've become hungry for more exciting backdrops.
"This we understand," concedes Lee, adding: "Shoppers love to take photos for their social media so we have to ensure that every corner offers them a wonderful photo opportunity. In the past, we only focused on one element or angle. And a giant Christmas tree would often suffice. These days, people want more as they're also capturing for a bigger audience."
Smiling, Lee recalls his first ever Christmas centrepiece for the mall 11 years ago. "It was very basic," he remembers, adding: "We had four Christmas trees decked with basic ornaments, a stage in the centre, and that's all. With each passing year, we added more activities, like shows and we had a choir, and we also changed the styling of the trees. More trees were added because people loved to see Christmas trees complete with gigantic baubles."
Every year, it gets harder, he concedes. But, these days, the big difference is they now work with partners. It's no longer about the customers purely enjoying the decorations; it's also about being rewarded.
Nodding, Shanen elaborates: "One of the key things behind being a successful mall is the tenants and business partners that we have (in a mall). It's important for us to rope in the tenants, brands and partners to play a part in curating the overall experience. This collaboration has been a very important element in all our festive season campaigns."
Offering an example, Shanen points to the collaboration with Coach. "We started talking with Coach's New York creative team about nine months ago, sharing with them our vision of bringing back a magical experience for our shoppers, especially in view of the current climate and sentiments. We looked at fairies etc, and asked the question of how we could evolve this entire story to a different level, with a continuity of inspiration, which would take it out to the main entrance as well."
Elaborating, she explains: "We wanted to see how we could create a seamless experience where shoppers could walk through a mystical forest and end up in a magical snowy New York landscape, complete with winter animals. We wanted there to be a connection (story). That's how we normally work with brands — we brainstorm and there's plenty of back-and-forth communication."
NUTS AND BOLTS
Going back to this year's piece-de-resistance in the mall's centre court, I ask Lee about the nuts and bolts of putting everything together. The creative Libran nods, expression turning earnest.
"Actually, a lot of research and sourcing are involved," he shares, adding that the scale or size of the ornaments have to be seriously considered as too the finishing, colours and combinations.
"We also consider the recycling element, for example, how to use what we have from the past and turn them into something that's new and fresh to avoid wastage," continues Lee, adding: "Actually, many of the fixtures and elements you see today have been recycled and refurbished from our past showcases, but in a creative way so it's hard to notice!"
Nodding, Shanen chips in: "Sustainability has always been our priority internally. Rather than just keep buying new props, we make a conscious effort to look into how to recycle, reuse or repurpose some of our props."
For ideas and inspiration, the team does travel to international exhibitions to see what the trends are around the world. They also have study trips around Asia to check out what other malls are doing. As their owners are also well travelled, they too provide useful input, sharing pictures of what they've seen and discussing how it can be realised on home soil.
"In Malaysia, people still like to have elements of nature incorporated, like a garden or very natural things. And we're more thematic," shares Lee, adding that in China or Hong Kong, it's a little different as market demand there isn't the same.
"Like in Hong Kong, they tend to favour themes that revolve around characters," he elaborates, adding: "For example, they might create some special robotics or have a cute owl or bear that would represent the icon for that period."
OF MEMORIES AND MAGIC
Every year, Pavilion aspires to bring exciting, new elements for visitors. "Do you remember that year when we created the Swarovski crystal tree and the Swarovski carousel? No one had done that before," exclaims Lee, eyes dancing at the memory. "And another year, we had a 12m Christmas tree created in the form of a giant Santa. It was different."
These days, the team has learnt that size doesn't necessarily matter. Shares Lee, whose other passion is baking: "People love to take photos. We've learnt that there's no point in creating giant Christmas trees or having large scale anything that looms in the air when the action is all taking place on the ground! We need to create things there so people can engage with the different elements."
As the minutes tick and I realise that I have to make a dash for my next appointment, I couldn't help lobbing the affable Lee my final question: Which festival does he love to design for?
Lee, whose biggest dream is to design for the Met Gala Museum, chuckles in response before replying: "I love every festival because each one brings with it its own unique sense of excitement.
"Of course, Christmas is always magical because there's lots of sparkles and light and music! With Deepavali, it's all about colours. The hardest festival to design for? Hari Raya. There are many things to take into consideration and you can't just go wild! With Christmas, anything goes!"
For details on "Mystical Christmas" activities and promotions, visit pavilion-kl.com or check for real-time updates via Facebook, Instagram, or contact Pavilion KL's Concierge at 03-2118 8833.
