According to the designers, all the stores in China have been performing well. The expansion strategy is based on a steady and balanced growth. "China to us is more an opportunity than a threat," says Dolce. "It's still a small market, compared with some countries where the group has been a presence for many more years, but it has a great potential.

"In the mid-term, China will represent a very interesting and developing market. In the long-term, with growing numbers of metropolitan areas and an increasingly wealthy population that appreciates and demands luxury products, there will be the opportunity for us to further expand to other cities."

The new arrivals in the store feature the romantic style, echoing Napoleon's gilded parades and the sophisticated royal charm and allure of imperial feasts.

As a signature style of the house, each of the garments is crafted with distinctive details and unique intricacies, while remaining modern and wearable. Highlights include short jackets with big metal buttons and military embroidery, fitted jackets worn over high-collared shirts, tight knickers matched with jodhpurs or high boots that accentuate the silhouette, as well as the romantic empire-waist baby-doll dresses creating a feminine counterbalance to the androgynous collection.

Sable, chalk, ice and canvas are the most important colors of this serene palette. Touches of royal blue, deep red and emerald green are also used throughout the collection. The gold-brushed chains, prints of the Napoleonic honeybee and gold laurel leaves have created a strong statement of luxury, refinement and elegance.

The menswear features an aesthetic taste and radiates a "new power" that pays considerable attention to the fabrics and details, such as the brocaded velvet, the embroideries of crowns and other royal and military symbols.

The complete Dolce & Gabbana collections can be found in the store. There are also two VIP rooms, one for men and the other for women, where some of the most precious and unique pieces are showcased. The clothes placed in the ladies' VIP room are one-of-a-kind.

And the booming Shanghai nightlife welcomes a new baby. The 85-square-meter Bar Martini inside the store serves as the first D&G bar in Asia. It has been designed according to the same concept of the bar in Milan: a bar counter in black marble, black glass walls, mirrors and a precious custom-made chandelier.

"It will soon become a 'place to be.' We're sure that the Shanghai jet set will love the Italian and refined atmosphere that you can breath at our flamboyant new bar," says Gabbana.

Giorgio Armani has visited Shanghai twice. So when will the Italian fashion duo come to Shanghai to enjoy the beautiful scene of the Bund and experience the city's vibrant nightlife?

"We'll come very soon, we promise it, not only for the nightlife but also for the love we have for the culture and the tradition of China," says Dolce.

Dolce and Gabbana flagship store
Location: near three on the Bund

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