The fashionistas sighed. At long last Dolce & Gabbana opened its first store in Shanghai, replete with leopard skin, smoky mirrors and Hollywood mystique for those seeking that "star sensation," writes Shanghai Daily.

Mirrors, Baroque chandeliers, walls and staircases shining like black crystal, leopard skin-covered doors with bold, gold letters "D" and "G." Shanghai's loyal fashionistas have been waiting a long time for this Hollywood-style fashion feast. Finally, Dolce & Gabbana opened its first store in Shanghai, along with Asia's first Dolce & Gabbana bar.

D&G 2006. [Photo by dolcegabbana.it]

Thousands of trendy people thronged the new store along the Bund last Friday night. Models, or rather, the bewigged (late Napoleonic style) noble beauties from Dolce & Gabbana's amazing autumn and winter advertising this year, coolly passed the large crowd, their faces glittering under the spotlights.

Just a few steps from Shanghai's luxury landmark Three on the Bund, the flagship store covers 1,200 square meters, with a sales area of more than 900 square meters, at 6 Bund. The building was once the headquarters of the Commercial Bank of China, the first Chinese capital bank opened in 1897.

"We have chosen to open now as part of our expansion strategy in China. We have found the right location at the right time, so it's perfect," says designer Domenico Dolce in an exclusive e-mail interview with Shanghai Daily.

"In China, we target young, cultivated, refined men and women of great taste, who are lively, iconic and passionate, and who love to enjoy the unique 'star sensation' that Dolce & Gabbana can provide," adds designer Stefano Gabbana.

In April 2005, the Italian high-fashion operation launched its first flagship store on the Chinese mainland in Hangzhou, capital of neighboring Zhejiang Province. Many had questioned why they chose Hangzhou instead of Shanghai.

The reason is Hangzhou, at that time, was a place where foreign companies could establish their own operations without being required to have a Chinese partner. This suits the business development strategy of the fashion group that wants to have total control over of its operations - currently, it has 81 directly operated stores worldwide.

Recently the company took back its Beijing outlet at the Palace Hotel from the local distributor and relaunched it as a directly operated store. Apart from its flagship store in Hong Kong opened two years ago, the company plans to start another one there next month.

1

2