Celebrity fashion designer Zhang Chi visited the American Rag store at Crystal Galleria in Shanghai and took some photos with his iphone.
The Pei Mansion
The Pei Mansion may be my favorite Shanghai hotel despite its having numerous interesting competitors.  Built in 1934, the building was designed for the family of I.M. Pei., which was clearly wealthy on the King Midas type of scale at that juncture.  They were financiers, dye merchants and undoubtedly real estate moguls.
Taciturn Li
Taciturn Li is one of my favorite brands in China and the first outlet just opened at Yangmeizhu Xiejie (æ¨æ¢…竹斜街）near Qianmen.  By a young man named Yunze who feels very Beijing, the brand is nonetheless inspired by American workwear while using mostly Japanese fabrics.  Taciturn Li was one of the brands that I selected for the Made in China shop-in-shop at the American Rag in LA and it has been one of the most successful brands there.
Apolis x American Rag
The Apolis x American Rag Jute Market Bag is just in at the new store at Shanghai’s Crystal Galleria.
Apolis is a LA-based brand that has collaborated with American Rag in the past. Â This is a special edition in a limited run of 50 to celebrate the opening of the Shanghai store.
Beijing Shopping Destinations
Going beyond Chinese street fashion, in my role as blogger I recommend some of my top Beijing Shopping Destinations like Taciturn Li and Wuhao in this Stay.com piece.  I am also going to be doing one soon in which I talk about Shanghai Shopping.
It turns out that the fashion photographer Jeff Yiu has also done this.
American Rag Opens
The American Rag store at Crystal Galleria in Shanghai is in its soft opening phase. It’s near Jing’an Temple on Yuyuan Road. Go in this weekend and say you are friends with Nels to get a 20% discount on all purchases.
Click below for more photos of this new retail concept that is sure to change how the Shanghai style crowd shops and dresses.
The HUB Moves to Shanghai
If you’ve been in China for any significant amount of time, you should be sick of discussions comparing Beijing and Shanghai. And of course Hong Kong can also creep in. Which city is the best, most fun, most stylish, least fake, etc., etc.? I borrow the answer of my friend Charlie Ducane, who says “the ideal Chinese city runs like Hong Kong, is peopled by Beijingers, and looks like Shanghai.” Beijing has rockstars, artists, and their admirers. Shanghai has beautiful art deco buildings and tree-lined streets. Hong Kong is efficient.
When it comes to which one is the fashion capital, there’s also lively debate. My friend Tim Parent analyzes this question in this article for Business of Fashion. The HUB founders Peter Caplowe and Richard Hobbs, with quite a bit of input from me – I’ve been working with Asia’s leading fashion trade fair for nearly two years – have decided to put their bets with Shanghai now after four shows in Hong Kong.
Interview: Chen Xing
Stylites contributor Crystal Xu caught up with Chen Xing, the designer of Bifu, now exhibiting at the Four Seasons Hotel Beijing, to talk about making the transition from architecture to fashion, the experience of working with a luxury hotel and the impact of traditional culture on his work.
Stylites: What inspired you to transition from architect to designer?
Chen: In China, architecture is all about money, politics, and power.  There are not many choices for architects.  I transferred to a different career to express myself.  I want to be creative and free.  When I was in Italy, I saw so many [foreign fashion] brands and that most of the costumers were Chinese.
China has so much culture I want to show it in my designs.
Bi Fu by Chen Xing
A young fashion brand based out of Beijing’s ever hipper Dashilar neighborhood, Bi Fu by Chen Xing is a brand that appreciates Chinese history as well as cutting-edge technology and is not afraid to bring the two together. Â Chen Xing’s creations are on exhibit in the lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel Beijing from now until July 9.
More LA Pics
Just in are more pics from American Rag Cie in LA. These are taken by Stew.
Irakli x Wuhao
Georgian/Parisian designer Irakli Nasidze showed his Spring/Summer 2015 collection for the first time in Asia at a pop-up with Wuhao at the Four Seasons Hotel Beijing in May 2015. Jing Daily has a good round-up on this event.
“Made in China” Coverage
Quite a bit of coverage has come out on our Made in China shop-in-shop including from the LA Times, WWD, Jing Daily, Apparel News, Style by Asia, and Racked LA.  You can see a brief interview with me on CCTV as well.  Click on this link and go to 11:33.
Beijing-based blogger Lady Liaoliao got her post on the event syndicated by a wide range of meida: the Lady Liaoliao Wechat Platform, Sohu mobile, Zaker, 163, Phoenix Mobile, Haibao, Rayli, Sina, Weibo, and Wechat. Â What we are waiting for is the youku coverage resulting from her visit.
Vision of Nature: Wuhao
As summer begins, The Four Seasons Hotel Beijing collaborates with Wuhao a third time, this time to celebrate Wuhao’s fifth anniversary.  The first Wuhao pop-up in the lobby area was in Spring of 2014 and the second one was in October.
WWD on Amrag Shop-in-Shop
American Rag Cie founder Mark Werts and I were having dinner at Beijing’s Opposite House almost a year ago and we came up with the idea for a shop-in-shop that would transform a section of his giant fashion emporium on La Brea Avenue in Central Los Angeles.  The theme would be rising Chinese fashion designers who had never before been sold in the US.
After a few trips across the Pacific, tricky international bank transfers, and some trade fairs like Showroom Shanghai and The HUB, the Chinese shop-in-shop is opening on May 14.  Media from across the US and from China will attend the event.  WWD has already done a piece that you can see here or by clicking more – there are more pictures as well.
Initiating a PLATFORM
Lane Crawford is calling out to creative designers and entrepreneurs to collaborate! Come and bring your portfolio of works to the open days listed below:
Hong Kong: Lane Crawford, One Island South home store and showroom, Wong Chuk Hang May 5, 2015 Â
Shanghai:Â Lane Crawford Square, May 7, 2015
To find out more about the details and criteria of Lane Crawford’s selection, visit Lane Crawford’s PLATFORM Initiative (English) or Lane Crawford’s PLATFORM Initiative (Chinese).