New York, London, and Milan might preoccupy the fashion industry for most of the fall, but another world city is slowly gaining ground. Shanghai, China's most cosmopolitan city, is on the radar for many designers as they recognize the importance of the Asian market. They are quickly opening boutiques in this city of over 20 million (with a large population of Westerners), in what has been called the "Paris of the Orient." In fact, Ferragamo hosted its 80th Anniversary Celebration here in March.
While stores are scattered in neighborhoods throughout the city, West Nanjing Road is home to several notable retailers. With Hermès , Jil Sander, Zegna, Lagerfeld and Prada, the list of boutiques at Plaza 66, a very upscale mall on this impressive strip, might be confused for a trip down Madison Avenue.
One great find at Plaza 66 is I.T., a unique store carrying a broad range of clothing from a number of houses including Comme des Garcons, APC, Alexander McQueen, and DSquared, plus an impressive mix of lesser-known designers that get invited to show their collections here.
For those of us with slimmer builds, these luxury boutiques are especially welcome. Since Asians are typically less stocky than Westerners, it's much easier to find smaller sizes, not to mention the fact that there's a greater emphasis on menswear here than in most cities around the world.
For example, a trip to an Hermès store in Manhattan wasn't fruitful when I visited a few weeks ago looking for a French cuff shirt with a 14.5 inch neck. The associate told me I'd have to wait a month or so while they searched for the shirt at boutiques across the globe. Here in Shanghai, however, smaller sizes are the norm, and I was able to find that shirt with relative ease.
Don't expect bargains, though. Prices are on par, if not more, than they are stateside. A beaver-lined Vicuña sweater by Loro Piana sells for 226,900 RMB, or nearly $34,000 USD. Sure, you might be able to get a similar sweater at Loro Piana on the Upper East Side but where else can you buy it and walk down the street to have a lunch of jiao zi (dumplings) and pi jiu (beer) for less than $2? --BRANDON FELDMAN
