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| Nanjing Road/ photo: Verghese |
SHANGHAI is fast becoming a bona fide shoppers’ paradise. Once a centre for spurious factories and counterfeit goods, the city’s fashion set is now rubbing shoulder-pads with Karl Lagerfeld and Diane von Furstenberg at Champagne-soaked Bund parties and first-peek collection launches.
As luxury brands court voracious mainland consumers with opulent flagship stores and China-centric product lines, independent designers and niche labels are also taking advantage of the driving consumer spirit, access to manufacturers and enduring inspirations of the Orient to realise exciting new brands and boutiques in China’s fashion capital.
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Tucked away in charming retail enclaves around the former French Concession, Xintiandi and the Bund, local designers present their wares – everything from handmade silk slippers and modern ceramics to organic cotton baby kimonos – offering trendy updates on classic Chinese styles. Other good buys in Shanghai include Oriental rosewood antiques, freshwater pearls and custom-made garments from the city’s legendary tailors. On with our Shanghai shopping romp.
China may be on track to become the world’s largest consumer of luxury goods by 2015, but due to heavy import tariffs, those found fondling the inflated price tags here are usually wealthy domestic customers. For your less highly taxed Dior, Chanel and Armani – best head to Hong Kong. If you don’t mind Pardas and Calvin Keins [sic], there’s always rip-off Qipu Road Clothing Wholesale Market (168 Qipu Rd) or Taobao City (580 Nanjing West Rd).
Shanghai shopping – Nanjing West Road and Huaihai Road
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| Shanghai shopping in Xintiandi |
Like many fashion capitals, the city’s two main boulevards – Nanjing West Road and Huaihai Road – are lined with some of the best Shanghai shopping malls brimming with luxury brand stores and high-street labels.
The Nanjing West Road action is centred between Jing’an Temple and Shimen No. 1 Road. Next door to the gold-capped Buddhist temple, Jiuguang City Plaza (1618 Nanjing Road) houses Tiffany & Co, Omega and Kate Spade, as well as excellent Japanese supermarket Freshmart in the basement. Opposite this, rising above the interchange of three metro lines, Park Place offers seven levels of international designer boutique shopping and dining.
Plaza 66 (1266 Nanjing Road) is crammed with luxury brands – think: Louis Vuitton, Dior, Prada, Cartier – on five marble-clad levels. The top floor also offers branches of popular local restaurants including Zen (great dim sum) and Pin Chuan (modern Sichuan). For sophisticated European café offerings or a stiff drink between purchases, Alfred Dunhill’s seductive subterranean lounge Archie’s is a real treat.
Next door, Citic Square (1168 Nanjing Road) includes Armani, Bally and Marc Jacobs, while neighbouring Westgate Mall (1038 Nanjing Road) features Burberry, Ermenegildo Zegna, Coach and an Isetan department store. Between these are more moderately priced fashion outlets, such as Zara, GAP, Uniqlo and Marks & Spencer. Tucked away on the third floor of 818 Mall (818 Nanjing West Road) amidst youth fashion brands is a branch of MUJI for cool eco stationery, homewares and travel accessories.
Running parallel to Nanjing West Road through the former French Concession, Huaihai Middle Road is another major shopping street, populated with European fast fashion flagships H&M, Zara and Mango along with clothing brands from China, Korea and Japan.
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| Annabel Lee on the Bund/ photo: shop |
Be sure to check out the revamped Hong Kong Plaza, home to a huge Apple store and the world’s first Shang Xia boutique (SL1-01, 1/F, South Tower, Hong Kong Plaza, 283 Huaihai Middle Road). Launched in 2010 by uber-luxury French design house Hermes and Shanghainese Creative Director Jiang Qiong’er, Shang Xia – which means ‘up down’ in Mandarin – presents a contemporary take on traditional Chinese design, handcrafted by local artisans following age-old techniques. French-trained Jiang hopes to preserve and renew endangered heritage crafts with her exquisite collection of rare zitan wood furniture, fine eggshell porcelain dishware, and pastel gowns and coats made from hand-pulled Mongolian cashmere. The brand’s first boutique in Shanghai, encased in cloud-like layers of white tulle by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, will be followed by boutiques in Paris and Beijing.
Farther west along Huaihai Road, a pair of 1920s neoclassical mansions known as the Twin Villas have been transformed by the Richemont Group into a luxury retail experience combining indulgent boutiques, cutting-edge art and sophisticated lounging. Luxury brand siblings Vacheron Constantin and Alfred Dunhill – both established favourites of high-end Chinese consumers – occupy separate wings of the mansion. Their stunning two-storey flagships are designed to go beyond regular retail and share the history and spirit of the brands, complete with a White Shirt Bar and bespoke tailoring service at the Alfred Dunhill Home, and a collector’s salon and customised safe at Vacheron Constantin. There’s also the seductive KEE Club upstairs.
Shopping in Xintiandi lanes
The refashioned traditional lanes and shikumen houses of Xintiandi, at the junction of Huangpi Road and Madang Road, are very popular with travellers on account of the wide array of high-end shopping, dining and entertainment options.
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| Guess, Nanjing Rd/ photo: Verghese |
At the very top end, the striking glass pavilions outside The Langham Xintiandi hotel house jewel and watch brand flagships. The most glittering is the two-storey, faceted Harry Winston boutique (tel: 2310-6868, 188 Taicang Road), which opened in 2012 and is the largest salon in the world for the New York diamond dealer.
Global fashion brand Shanghai Tang (Unit 15, Xintiandi North Blk, Lane 181 Taicang Road) features apparel for men, women and children, home furnishings, accessories and novelty gift items with a colourful nod to Chinese culture. Exquisite cutting and inspired design are reflected in the high-end prices. There’s also a colourful café upstairs.
The flagship store of home-grown label Simply Life (Unit 101, 159 Madang Road) stocks pan-Asia furniture and house ware, including an exclusive range of hand-painted, fine bone china from luxury local brand Asianera.
Fresh local labels hang out at new Xintiandi Style concept mall (tel: 5382-0666, 245 Ma Dang Road), which is linked by an overhead bridge to the far southern end of the heritage block. A great spot to take in the cutting edge of local fashion, highlights include Goth-inspired couture by Central Saint Martins graduate Uma Wang; chic leather totes in bold colours by Shanghai-based Heirloom; chic blouses, bags and accessories with a China-French accent at Oshadai; and cool pumps with Middle Kingdom motifs at Ch’in. You can also find the world’s first standalone Moleskine store here.
Funky shopping around Taikang Road
What started with a few artists and design agencies moving in to abandoned factory warehouses on quiet Taikang Road, has become one of Shanghai’s most popular shopping districts. The rabbit-warren of cobbled Shanghai ‘longtang’ (lanes) are flanked by traditional stone-gated residences housing an eclectic collection of fashion, furniture and lifestyle boutiques, craft workshops, jewellers, photography galleries and alfresco cafes. Amidst all this, elderly lane residents steadfastly go about their daily life, which presents eye-popping contrasts that are often as fun to observe as the goods on offer in bohemian shop windows. Most of the top Shanghai local brands now have a presence here – the following are several good ones not to miss.
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| Suzhou Cobblers Shanghai/ photo: shop |
Nuo Mi (Lane 274, 12 Taikang Road) by young Chinese-American designer Lin Wen creates cross-culture women and children’s fashions in eco-friendly bamboo, cotton, soya and raw silk that feel as soft and slinky against the skin as they look. Urban Tribe (Number 14, Lane 248 Taikang Road) is a rustic-chic collection of fashion, pottery tea sets, handmade silver jewellery and black-and-white photography inspired by China’s hinterlands, Burma and India. And keep an eye out for adorable Shokay (Bldg 9, 274 Taikang Road), committed to sustainably developing luxury yarn and cosy designs made from Tibetan yak down.
Several photography studios include one of the street’s original tenants, photographic historian Deke Erh. The sprawling Deke Erh Art Centre (Number 2, Lane 210 Taikang Lu) presents his images snapped around Shanghai and rural China, as well as books he has published on the city’s fading architectural heritage. Gang of One is a tribute to the rags-to-riches tale of Wang Gangfeng, a former factory worker whose wonderful portraits of characters and street life around China now hang in the Musee de l'Elysee in Switzerland.
La Vie (Number 7, Lane 210 Taikang Lu), stocks the heavily tailored and deconstructed fashions of Jenny Ji, who studied fashion in Milan before returning to her hometown. Shirt Flag (Number 7, Lane 210 Taikang Road) and Produc-T (Number 11, Lane 248 Taikang Road) offer fun, limited edition t-shirts with Shanghai inspired slogans. In a two-storey maison facing Taking Road, Platane (156 Taikang Road) presents a swoon-worthy collection of homeware and accessories from en vogue designers in Shanghai and beyond.
Two interesting jewellery stores worth checking out are Marion Carsten (Suite 106, Bldg 3, Lane 210 Taikang Road) by a Shanghai-based German jeweller, whose striking contemporary designs use bold combinations of sterling silver, leather and pearls. For men, JIP’s smart collection of industrial-style accessories combining edgy tungsten, titanium and carbon fibre are designed by an international team of artists but manufactured in southern China, which keeps the line surprisingly affordable (Number 51, Lane 210 Taikang Road).
For cottage industry in action, visit Harvest Studio downstairs (Suite 18, Bldg 3, Lane 210 Taikang Road). Here, Miao minority women from southern China gossip as they hand embroider ethnic-styled cushions and clothing.
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| Get fancy on the Bund/ photo: Verghese |
When your Shanghai shopping binge gets too tiring, release your own creative energy with easel and acrylic paints at Jam Art Space.
Shanghai boutique shops in the French Concession
For more Shanghai brand shopping, cruise the leafy streets of the former French Concession lined with tiny boutiques by aspiring local talent. The best stretches lie along Nanchang Road and Xinle Road (between Donghu Road and Maoming Road). Julu Road and Jinxian Road contain a smattering of interesting boutiques, while Shaanxi Road is budget shoe heaven if you fit a size 37.
Streetwear fans should stride to Source (158 Xinle Road), The Thing (60 Xinle Road) and Fly (704 Changle Road). Aegis Shanghai (777 Julu Road) showcases a suavely edited collection of men’s contemporary designer clothes, footwear and accessories, including several labels making their debut in mainland China. Meanwhile, ladies will lust over the handpicked looks from Hervé Léger, Proenza Schouler and Rebecca Minkoff at The Villa (1 Taojiang Road.
On leafy Nanchang Road, S2VS (172 Nanchang Road) showcases preppy looks for guys by Sean William Salim, a young Indonesian designer who has chosen Shanghai as home. Salim zips between his bases in China and New York – happily, prices here are a fraction of those in his New York store.
Boutique 205 (205 Nanchang Road) is a three-storey lanehouse stuffed with hot Korean, Taiwanese and Scandinavian boutiques. Check out the well-priced bespoke men’s shirt service at Roommate on the ground floor. Atop the creaky wooden stairs, Taiwanese label I Prefer stocks one-off bohemian dresses crafted from hand-dyed silks and batik.
Tucked away down a traditional ‘longtang’ (laneway) within a magical secret garden is William the Beekeeper (84 Fenyang Road). Here, a Californian-Chinese broker-turned-designer collects an indie range of one-off pieces by house label Kaileeni, eco brand Finch and other budding China-based designers. Sharing the space is XinleLu.com, an offline showroom of the funky fashion shopping website.
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| NEST at Taikang Rd/ photo: shop |
Peering through the framed windows at Catie Lo (105 Wukang Road) is like looking into a beautiful vintage storybook where the feminine dresses, shoes, purses, home fragrances, greeting cards and other tchotchkes are displayed in antique cabinets and dressing tables and draped over velvet armchairs.
Don’t miss these local legends, too: hyper-conceptual Cha Gang (70 Yongfu Lu), feminine threads by Shanghai-based Japanese designer, Mayumi Sato (169-1 Anfu Road); and Mary Ching (Boutique 106, Ferguson Lane, 376 Wukang Road), the aspiring Manolo Blahnik of the Mainland. The Hive (210 Fumin Road) houses a smartly selected collection of Chinese designers’ threads for both men and women.
Across the road, Madame Mao’s Dowry (207 Fumin Road) hosts pop-up fashion stores by international designers and labels, like Marios Schwab, House of Holland and Topshop, amidst its Cultural Revolution inspired art and souvenirs. A giant wooden sculpture of Chairman Mao acts as a makeshift mannequin (of sorts), donning a new-season Topshop mini – How can we resist?
Prime Shanghai shopping and designer brands – The Bund
The gentrification of Shanghai’s iconic Bund has seen a great many luxury brands – Giorgio Armani at Three on the Bund, Dolce & Gabbana at 6 Bund, Cartier, Patek Philippe, Ermenegildo Zegna and Boucheron at Bund 18 and Chanel, Georg Jensen, Prada and Ralph Lauren at The Peninsula Arcade – move into the grand former colonial banking HQs beside the Huangpu River.
These are interspersed with local designer boutiques in the side streets, including Suzhou Cobblers (Room 101, 17 Fuzhou Road), selling handcrafted silk slippers in updated colours and patterns; Blue China White (Room 103, 17 Fuzhou Rd) offering hand-painted Jingdezhen porcelain tableware plus one-off furniture pieces combining ceramics and antique woods; and Annabel Lee Shanghai (Number 1, Lane 8 Zhongshan Road E1), whose range of embroidered silk decor and accessories are displayed in a museum-like flagship behind a large red door.
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| Shanghai shopping, the Bund/ photo: Verghese |
On the second floor of Bund 18 (18 Zhongshan Road E1), Younik is a high-end concept store of local designer fashions and art and Gabbiani sells hand-blown glassware by the designer of those iconic red Venetian chandeliers hanging in the Bund 18 lobby.
Shanghai tailors – not just one size fits all
Shanghai’s legendary tailors can whip up a custom-made wardrobe in a matter of days. Start with a trip to the South Bund Fabric Market (399 Lujiabang Road), where multiple air-conditioned levels offer vast reams of fabric and trimmings at bargain prices. Bring your favourite pieces and have the onsite tailors sew made-to-measure replicas. Expect to pay approximately Rmb600 for a suit including material and workmanship.
Shanghai shopping – pearls and antiques
Shanghai is close to China’s freshwater pearling areas of Jiangsu province and is therefore a great place to buy these precious gems. Mark this down in your Shanghai shopping diary. Shanghai Hongqiao International Pearl City (3721 Hongmei Lu) is a multi-level pearl emporium. Most of the action is found on the third floor, where vendors sell a wide array of fresh water pearls and semi-precious stones, along with inexpensive crystal and plastic beads. Buy readymade jewellery or create your own custom designs, which can be strung on the spot.
The five-storey wholesale antique market at Cang Bao Lou (457 Fangbang Middle Road) and charming outdoor Dongtai Road Antique Market (Dongtai Road, by Tibet Road) are good places to scavenge for Cultural Revolution memorabilia, Buddhist statuary, art deco furniture and even opium pipes. Although many of the wares are ersatz, this is still great souvenir territory and keen eyes will occasionally spot a genuine antique prize. Bargain hard.
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| Xintiandi epicentre/ photo: Verghese |
For antique rosewood furniture, head to the warehouse showroom of Hu & Hu Antiques in far-flung Hongqiao (1685 Wuzhong Lu). The sisters-in-law Hu have a massive collection of well-restored Chinese antiques and customised reproductions, delivered fuss-free thanks to their fixed-pricing policy and international shipping.
Shanghai Airport duty-free shopping at Pudong offers varied selections, not always at the lowest rates though. Pick up a one-litre bottle of 12-year-old Chivas for Rmb228. The duty free price for one litre of Johnnie Walker Black Label is Rmb179. A j'adore 50ml eau de parfum from Dior will cost around Rmb553 and a Dunhill silk tie will set you back Rmb985.
And if all this frantic Shanghai shopping hasn’t left you with a bruised wallet and swollen feet, then strap on your (probably new) dancing shoes and head for a night on the famed Shanghai tiles.
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