by Copeland » Tue Dec 31, 2019 12:56 am
Been in Shanghai for the past two weeks. Hit every shop including ones that don't want to be found. I've been out of the game but here are some (obvious) observations:
- Most of the hip popups from a few years back folded, presumably due to online competition and high rent and lack of foot traffic. The two main ones - Triple Major and Dongliang - still exist but the former moved to Beijing only and the latter rebranded to a shop/collective/showcase of domestic designers complete with annual runway shows. The domestic lines all look like Martine Rose. There is nothing new that's not streetwear.
- Triple Ss are the sneaker of the season and part of about 2/3 of the fits I see walking around.
- Lane Crawford is a great department store. The menswear section almost captures the entire universe of men's fashion on one floor, carries everything from Devoa to Isaia to Junya to Dries to Ffixxed, a lot more concise than Barney's, also has a section for up-and-coming domestic designers.
- Eth0s, the last remaining artisanal shop in Shanghai, is guarded by a steel door and security cameras. The selection has been diluted with stuff like 1017 Alyx and.. Visvim, alongside racks of GBS and Elena Dawson that don't seem to sell. BBS11 is pretty cool, sneakers are on point.
- Every shop from local popups to department stores will have an SA follow me as soon as I enter. Gets really annoying at times especially when they don't talk. Wasn't like this a few years ago.
- There is no good-looking designer sneaker this season except for the Prada Cloudbust Thunder and in a perverted cyberpunk way. I don't understand why since even Hermes has trail runners now.
- Despite the fact it's picked-over/deep winter sale season there is a lot of truly hideous pseudo streetwear. What is the point of stuff like Valentino/UC?
- The Uma Wang store smells nice and plays an ambient soundtrack. Not a strong season for menswear but women's look great.
- Found a shop called In the Park that carries Bless and has a bunch of David Shrigley x Third Drawer Down, another called Jisifang with MHL and Arts & Science, random and scattered but good that these spots still exist next to the megamalls.
- Retail womenswear seems alive and well. Menswear is non-existent. Menswear items take up roughly a quarter of the retail space in malls and in independent shops. Expected but still bleak as Shanghai is the noveau riche capital and ought to drive sales.
- Shop recs: Jisifang in Columbia Circle, In the Park near Jingan/Suitsupply, Uma Wang, Labelhood (previously Dongliang), Eth0s. Galeries Lafayette, Lane Crawford, Joyce, and I.T outlet for department. Hermès cuz they let you try on €50K cashmere topcoats if you dress in qlo business casual and don't look homeless. Many more womenswear only shops like Autumnsonata but I didn't look.
- I made an IG for the first time in July and have been posting food/art from the trip, no fits. @bijiedreams
Last edited by
Copeland on Thu Jan 02, 2020 10:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.