In pursuit of 1930 Shanghai

(smartshanghai.com)
Updated: 2006-11-06 09:26

Founded in 1994 by Hong Kong business tycoon David Tang, Shanghai Tang originally traded in well-tailored Women's Qipao, Men's Mandarin jackets and high-end Chinoise accessories. Walking into their flagship store in Hong Kong, you are struck with an immediate feeling of a spacious and ultra-luxurious version of a tailor shop on Mao Ming Lu. The Swiss luxury goods house Richemont purchased them in 1998 and in addition to 22 boutiques worldwide, they now have a French CEO and an Asian American creative director. Very East-Meets-West.

The clothes? Shanghai Tang takes the most obvious artifacts from Shanghai and Chinese aesthetics and repurposes them in a luxury context. For this latest collection one sees Shanghai 1930's throughout. Fur and flapper fringe details. Fabric prints featuring the infamous images of Chinese calendar girls. This is Shanghai 1930 to the point of cliche. But the clothes are cut for a modern figure and more importantly feature fabrics and styling that the shop on Mao Ming Lu can't deliver. Shanghai redux indeed.

Shanghai Tang
Location: Jin Jiang Hotel, Shop E, Promenade on Mao Ming, 59 Mao Ming Nan Road
Tel: 021-54663006

Other stores in Shanghai
Location: Xintiandi Plaza, 15 Xintiandi North Block, Lane 181 Tai Cang Road
Tel: 021-63841601

Shangri-La Hotel
Location: 33 Fu Cheng Road, Pudong
Tel: 021-58776632