Travel is personal in T Galleria by DFS Spring/Summer 2015 campaign

Caroline de Maigret, Godfrey Gao and Zhou Yi share their personal vacation photos in a campaign inspired by social media.

The nature of travel is personal and is at the heart of T Galleria by DFS Spring/Summer 2015 campaign. The world's leading luxury travel retailer explores the adventures and journeys of three international travelers and social media influencers — French music producer Caroline de Maigret, rising Taiwanese actor Godfrey Gao and Chinese artist Zhou Yi. In a first for an international luxury brand, the campaign integrates their personal travel photographs into advertising and visual merchandising in-store.

Launching on March 2, T Galleria by DFS will debut a three-part video campaign series exploring the travels and tales of each influencer. John Gerhardt, Senior Vice President, Creative and Branding Direction, DFS Group, said: "Both travel and luxury are very personal. Instagram and how this amazing channel allows us to share private experiences inspired us. Our three travelers generously contributed to the campaign with their own vacation photographs. In turn, the campaign has a sense of authenticity and personalization."

Customers are invited to explore the campaign in-store through a dynamic experience featuring social-inspired displays, lenticular surfaces, video projections, multimedia walls, pop-up photo booths and aerial installations — all designed by the retailer's award-winning visual merchandising team. Visitors to TGalleria.com can click into an immersive digital experience featuring with audio clips from each influencer, video content, and travel guides. Customers and followers can share travel photos using #MyTJourney on Facebook, Instagram, Weibo and WeChat.

[Photo from dfsgroup.com]

The first episode, debuting on March 2, follows music producer and fashion muse Caroline in Chopard, who opens her travel journal sharing personal images from the deep blue waters of Spain's Cadaqués to her recent trip across Asia, as well as how each journey collectively has inspired her work.

The second episode launches on April 1 and features screen star and model Godfrey wearing Emporio Armani who shares how travel feeds his appetite to experience the world. Basking in the tropical sun, his photos are an invitation for a dip into the coral reefs of Bora Bora and a ride on the canals of Venice, Italy.

The final episode launches on May 1 starring celebrated Chinese artist Zhou Yi in Giorgio Armani Beauty. From showing her latest works in Hong Kong to being inspired by Singapore's bright city lights, the artist shares how each journey transports her into a world of wonder where inspiration can be found at every turn.

To complement the campaign, T Galleria by DFS commissioned celebrated French fashion illustrator Cassandre Montoriol. Since partnering with the retailer in 2014, Montoriol has added to the season through her whimsical illustrations which have reached 12 million travelers on social media across Asia.

About T Galleria by DFS

T Galleria by DFS, formerly known as DFS Galleria, is the ultimate evolution of the original travel retail concept pioneered by DFS Group. The first downtown store opened in 1968 in Hong Kong, followed shortly thereafter by Honolulu and eventually expanding to fourteen locations all over the world. Today, T Galleria by DFS has a presence in the United States, as well as across Asia, Australasia and the South Pacific regions. Linked to the notion of travel through the use of T for the Traveler, the brand stands for what customers have come to expect: an expertly curated assortment of the world's preferred luxury brands, exceptional retail environments, highly personalized services and unique experiences tailored to their specific needs as travelers. T Galleria by DFS enables travelers to realize their individual style, one journey at a time.

DFS Group was recently awarded the Grand Prize winner in VMSD Magazine's 2014 International Visual Competition and Best Luxury Travel Retailer T Galleria by DFS in 2015.

Appendix: Biographies

About Caroline de Maigret:

Caroline de Maigret is a fashion muse, model, music producer, best-selling author and proud mother of a son named Anton. Born into a family of Polish and French nobility as the granddaughter of Polish Prince Michel Poniatowski and daughter of Count Bertrand de Maigret, she has worked with photographers like Mario Testino, Peter Lindbergh and Terry Richardson. Living in Paris, she has also collaborated with many of the world's most loved luxury and fashion brands.

About Godfrey Gao:

Godfrey Gao is widely hailed as the world's first Asian male supermodel, and is also an internationally acclaimed actor, starring in Hollywood films and Chinese television shows. Born in Taipei to a Taiwanese father and Malaysian mother, he grew up in Canada, and now travels frequently around Asia from his home in Taipei. Godfrey supports FilmAid Asia for Refugees and plays in charity basketball games.

About Zhou Yi:

Zhou Yi is a Chinese artist and fashion muse who has lived in Rome, Paris, London and Shanghai. Her multimedia surrealist work has been shown at the Shanghai Biennale, Venice Biennale, Sundance Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival. Since 2010, she was appointed the art director of Tudou.com and currently serves as an art and fashion advisory member at Sina Weibo.