15 Orient ORIENTATION
What does the future hold for a brand with an east-meets-west sensibility? BAZAAR finds out
“We want to be the first Chinese international luxury brand of scale,” says Raphael le Masne de Chermont on the day that Shanghai Tang celebrates the official opening of its biggest flagship store yet, the Shanghai Tang Cathay Mansion. The Frenchman has been the Executive Chairman of the house since September 2001 and is also responsible for the brand’s recent global al expansion—45 boutiques including g 10 in countries outside of Asia, like e North America, United Kingdom, , Germany and Russia.
Where the first Mansion in n Hong Kong is dedicated to art, the e Shanghai Tang Cathay Mansion in n Shanghai is closely related to cinema. a. The original Cathay theatre traces es its roots back to the ’30s. After an ambitious b renovation project led by Shanghai-based architect firm Design MVW, the new flagship store is now restored to its former glory with a fusion of modern Chinese aesthetics and Art Deco style. The iconic cinema, one of the few historical ones still in operation today, now operates side by side the unique retail space.
Shanghai Tang was founded by David Tang in 1994, before Richemont group acquired Tang’s controlling stakes in 1998. Along with it came the responsibility to define the brand’s “DNA and build awareness” without compromising on its founding principles—to honour the longlost tradition of Chinese style tailoring and be the curator of Chinese chic.
In an industry where it is not unusual to rush into markets where the demands are deemed high, Raphael is careful to not overtly expose Shanghai Tang. “Everybody is just in a rush to make money that we forget to give time for time,” he explains before adding, “I believe we are ready to go big, but we have to do it carefully.” taking on a poignant view of luxury as “the opposite of routine.”
It is, perhaps, with this sentiment as well that Shanghai Tang ups the ante by adding two additional arms to its burgeoning men’s and woman’s pret-a-porter collection. The Imperial Tailoring offers an haute made-tomeasure service while the Imperial Collection is the atelier’s capsule line and includes some couture-worthy pieces, all presented with the chinois-meets-contemporary concept.
Raphael proudly claims that only three percent of their business comes from the qipaos. “We are not trying to create controversy. We are trying to bring the beauty of China to the world, [by finding] a balance between the East and West.”