Greet the Year of the Rat with a fresh new look courtesy of some of China’s homegrown fashion and interior stars. From a pair of cult Feiyues to rare Mongolian cashmere, read on for our edit of the made-in-China labels to shop for in Beijing and Shanghai – for Lunar New Year and beyond.
Shanghai
Courtier Han Feng kickstarted her career in New York 30 years ago, by launching her eponymous label in luxury department stores like Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys. Today she’s considered to be one of the founding mothers of Chinese couture; her East-West design aesthetic spans covetable gowns, handbags and scarves, all featuring her signature pleated flowers. You’ll need to book ahead for a chance to peek inside the divine appointment-only showroom.
Han Feng / by appt only / +86 21 6472 7202 / design@hanfeng.com / hanfeng.com
Shanghai’s answer to Dover Street Market, Labelhood Pillar is a one-stop, multi-brand must-shop for anyone seeking out the cream of the homegrown, high-end crop, including names like Xu Zhi, Ms Min and Uma Wang. Everything from clothes to bags and brogues, impeccably curated by Tasha Liu, is spread across three stories of this charming lane house on leafy, buzzy Fumin Lu.
Labelhood Pillar / 184 Fumin Lu / +86 21 3469 6926
Eagle-eyed fashionistas will have espied the iconic red and blue chevrons pounding the streets of many an Asian city of late – cult Shanghai-born brand Feiyue is the shoe that fits. These comfy and remarkably durable sneakers, first conceived in the 1920s, have seen a resurgence since featuring heavily at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The classic plimsoll, in particular, is having a moment so pick up your own pair at the Anfu road store.
Feiyue / 250 Anfu Rd / Xuhui / 10am-10pm daily / chinafeiyue.cn
Beijing
At the other end of the style scale is Shang Xia, an Hermès-backed heritage furniture and high-end fashion gallery, conceived by East-West design doyen Jiang Qiong Er, with stores in Beijing, Shanghai and Paris. The former’s star-chitectural China World Mall space won’t fail to wow, but your focus will be firmly on the exquisitely crafted items within, ranging from soft Mongolian cashmere coats to hand-carved jade jewellery to angular Ming-inspired armchairs. Obliging assistants will even serve you tea as you browse.
Shang Xia / SB107B / B1 / China World Mall / 1 Jianguomen Outer St / Chaoyang / +86 10 6505 7358 / shang-xia.com
Nest-featherers mustn’t forgo a trip to Spin Ceramics, art director Gary Wang’s one-stop shop for elegant, locally produced tableware, a longtime favourite among Beijingers and expats. A subtle, minimalist palette of whites and stone greys is married with clean, contemporary lines to form timeless tea sets, plates, vases, chopstick rests and bowls, all crafted in China’s ancient porcelain capital, Jingdezhen. Smashing!Spin Ceramics / 6 Fangyuan W Rd / Chaoyang / +86 10 6437 8649 / 10am-7pm daily
For the so-in-right-now shops in Beijing and Shanghai…
