Mall set to open in December will offer taste of luxury

An obsession with products carrying the "Made in Italy" label led Zhang Chenhui three years ago to the idea of opening an Italian Mall, where everything would originate in the southern European country.

Now, her dream is close to becoming a reality.

Zhang said Italian products had been readily available in Beijing for many years, but not all of them were hitting their target market.

The niche opened up even wider when a similarly inspired shopping area, Piazza Italia, closed on Nov 11, amid mounting debts, one year after its opening at China Central Place at the core area of the Central Business District.

Zhang hopes her Italian Mall, which is slated to open in December, will satisfy Beijingers' thirst for Italian luxury. With four floors and more than 6,000 square meters of shopping space, Italian Mall will be even bigger and more luxurious than its forerunner and will set out to cater to a wide range of visitors and shoppers with a selection of stores, entertainment features and dining opportunities.

"Italian Mall will not only have a dining area where you can find excellent Italian restaurants, caf bars and self-made chocolate workshops, but it will also have clothing, gadgets, jewelry and furniture with excellent craftsmanship," said Zhang, president of a commercial trading company.

"You can put it this way: Italian Mall will be like a miniature of Italy where you can experience Italian culture, art and lifestyle without traveling there."

As of December 2009, China's consumption of luxury goods had risen to $9.4 billion, which accounted for 27.5 percent of the world's total. The fact means China has likely now passed the United States and become the world's second-largest consumer of luxury goods after Japan, according to an annual report released by the World Luxury Association.

"The luxury market in China is still expanding, despite a decrease in overall global demand as a result of the global economic crisis, according to our research of the market," Zhang said.

The planned Italian Mall will be inside Kunlun Gallery, which stands in one of the most vibrant and bustling areas of the downtown in the Lufthansa Commercial Area. The mall will be surrounded by five-star hotels and luxurious apartments - a neighborhood that is a popular haunt of celebrities and the business elite.

"The rental of such a place is worth over 20 million yuan a year," said Zhang. "But we chose the Kunlun Gallery as the home of Italian Mall because the choice and standard of shops and the surroundings here reflects a classy atmosphere, which exactly expresses the concept of Italian Mall, the most classy and stylish shopping center in Beijing.

"Besides, the exterior side of the building is the creation of famous Italian designer Enzo Eusebi, which will realize a total Italian design, both inside and out."

Among the hundreds of Italian companies recommended by the Italian government, Italian Trade Commission and the Italian Chamber, Zhang selected 50 brands for the mall.

They include Pineider leather goods, which has more than 200 years' history and whose products were cherished by Napoleon, and Thes & Thes, which sells furs and high-quality accessories.

Other stores slated to open in the mall include Xacus, which is the first choice of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair for shirts, and Zoccai and Rosato, which sell jewelry.

The brands may be not be as well known as Gucci, Prada, LV and Chanel but they share the same quality and arguably even better design.

And some of the high-quality stores may hit your pocketbook less hard than the more well-known brands.

For example, a calfskin handbag from Pineider, the company that supplied US President Barack Obama with both a handbag and a sofa, costs 20,000 yuan. The cost of women's clothing ranges from 2,000 to 8,000 yuan.

"Italy has many good brands, which is the result of its long history and tradition in the fashion industry," said Zhang.

"But lack of public communication and advertising makes most of them relatively unknown in the Chinese market. So, Italian Mall will be a platform for Italian companies to present themselves and also a place for cultural exchange," she said.

Air hostess'Italian dream comes true

METRO: What was your first job?

Zhang: I worked as an air hostess for many years (starting in 1988). The job was considered a very popular profession among girls because there were very few chances at that time to go abroad, and an air hostess could travel around the world.

METRO: Was it difficult to get a job like that?

Zhang: Yes, it was. Since it is a popular profession, I had to be well prepared. The competition was so fierce that only 10 girls were selected from 3,000 candidates.

METRO: What did you do after your first job?

Zhang: I was the chief representative of aircraft parts of the US Boeing Company for some years and then I went to the US among the first batch Chinese for identification of jewelry study at the Gemological Institute of America. After coming back from the US, I went into the jewelry business. I worked for Bao Long Xiang Jewelry Co which was recognized as one of the best Chinese brands in jewelry industry.

METRO: What happened next in your career development?

Zhang: I had lots of regular customers, most of which have remained as my friends. When I shared my idea of opening an Italian Mall, they were very excited about it. They said they looked forward to experiencing Italian fashion and promised to go shopping there.

METRO: Where do you live?

Zhang: Currently, I'm living in an apartment near the Workers' Stadium. It has more than 400 square meters in floor space.

METRO: What do you do in your spare time?

Zhang: I like to shop and travel, as well as spend time with my family. I have an 8-year-old son who I always take swimming or skating. I really enjoy quality time with my family.

METRO: Do you cook at home?

Zhang: Sometimes, but we have a nanny who cooks really well. My husband and I will cook once in a while, when we are not so busy.

METRO: What are your favorite clothing brands?

Zhang: When I used to go shopping, I didn't care about brands - design and quality was my focus. If I liked the style, I would buy it regardless of whether it was famous or not. Now though, I am crazy about Italian-made goods.

METRO: What is your most expensive handbag?

Zhang: It would probably be an ostrich skin Hermes Birkin bag that cost more than 200,000 yuan.

METRO: What car do you drive?

Zhang: I usually drive a big Mercedes-Benz.

METRO: Why do you like big cars?

Zhang: I'm from Changchun, the capital of Jilin province in the northeast China, where women are very generous. Maybe that explains it somehow.