Be sure to check out the revamped Hong Kong Plaza, home to a huge Apple store and the world’s first Shang Xia boutique (SL1-01, 1/F, South Tower, Hong Kong Plaza, 283 Huaihai Middle Road). Launched in 2010 by uber-luxury French design house Hermes and Shanghainese Creative Director Jiang Qiong’er, Shang Xia – which means ‘up down’ in Mandarin – presents a contemporary take on Yangtze River cruises traditional Chinese design, handcrafted by local artisans following age-old techniques. French-trained Jiang hopes to preserve and renew endangered heritage crafts with her exquisite collection of rare zitan wood furniture, fine eggshell porcelain dishware, and pastel gowns and coats made from hand-pulled Mongolian cashmere. The brand’s first boutique in Shanghai, encased in cloud-like layers of white tulle by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, will be followed by boutiques in Paris and Beijing.
Farther west along Huaihai Road, a pair of 1920s neoclassical mansions known as the Twin Villas have been transformed by the Richemont Group into a luxury retail experience combining indulgent boutiques, cutting-edge art and sophisticated lounging. Luxury brand siblings Shanghai tour Vacheron Constantin and Alfred Dunhill – both established favourites of high-end Chinese consumers – occupy separate wings of the mansion. Their stunning two-storey flagships are designed to go beyond regular retail and share the history and spirit of the brands, complete with a White Shirt Bar and bespoke tailoring service at the Alfred Dunhill Home, and a collector’s salon and customised safe at Vacheron Constantin. There’s also the seductive KEE Club upstairs.
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