An Aesthete’s Apothecary

The new Triple-Major shop does not clash with its surroundings. The design is even more traditional than nearby establishments – inexpensive restaurants, alterations shops and sundries stalls – on Baochao Hutong, an as yet ungentrified alley running north from trendy Gulou street. Triple-Major is disguised as a traditional Chinese drugstore and even contains all the necessary accoutrements such as Qing Dynasty medicine cabinets and statues marked with all the vital points for acupuncture treatment. For lovers of obscure US and European fashion labels all previously unavailable elsewhere in China, the retail nourishment available here may be as essential as the physical boon from imbibing Chinese medicines. The funniest thing is that I met proprietor Ritchie Chan for the first time earlier this year outside Bryant Park, during fashion week in New York. At that time, he was considering a move to Beijing. It’s impressive that he has been able to pull together this enterprise so quickly. Ritchie自己这样形容他的新店：“Triple-Major是一家隐藏在老胡同百年中药店里的欧美前卫服装概念店。店内独家代理来自十多个国家像Daniel Palillo, Fabrics Interseason, Pelican Avenue, Skywardç­‰20多位设计师。店的主要目的是让国内渐趋商业化的时装界带来一些不一样和新鲜选择，并希望购买者能更深入地了解每件衣服背后的故事和意义。”

The new Triple-Major shop does not clash with its surroundings. The design is even more traditional than nearby establishments – inexpensive restaurants, alterations shops and sundries stalls – on Baochao Hutong, an as yet ungentrified alley running north from trendy Gulou street. Triple-Major is disguised as a traditional Chinese drugstore and even contains all the necessary accoutrements such as Qing Dynasty medicine cabinets and statues marked with all the vital points for acupuncture treatment. For lovers of obscure US and European fashion labels all previously unavailable elsewhere in China, the retail nourishment available here may be as essential as the physical boon from imbibing Chinese medicines.

The funniest thing is that I met proprietor Ritchie Chan for the first time earlier this year outside Bryant Park, during fashion week in New York. At that time, he was considering a move to Beijing. It’s impressive that he has been able to pull together this enterprise so quickly.

Ritchie自己这样形容他的新店：“Triple-Major是一家隐藏在老胡同百年中药店里的欧美前卫服装概念店。店内独家代理来自十多个国家像Daniel Palillo, Fabrics Interseason, Pelican Avenue, Skyward等20多位设计师。店的主要目的是让国内渐趋商业化的时装界带来一些不一样和新鲜选择，并希望购买者能更深入地了解每件衣服背后的故事和意义。”

Ritchie stocks his fashion pharmacy with his favorite designers, who tend to steer clear of both old rules and new trends as they play with volume and cut, meaning selections include many non-restrictive and oversized garments. Reflecting the intentions of both the designers and Ritchie, the shop is not divided into gendered sections: if it fits and you like it, don’t worry about tired guidelines. Anyway, the androgyny on offer here is more progressive than provocative. The 20 designers are from over 10 countries, including Finland, Austria and the Netherlands. Key are Daniel Palillo, Germany’s Anntian, Austria’s Fabrics Interreason, Pelican Avenue, and Skyward. The second floor gallery will host events related to art and fashion such as the upcoming exhibition on 10/15th by Australian art collaborative, ffixxed. The rooftop was the site for the recent flea market that will hopefully become a regular event. 二层和三层天台的展览空间定期举办文化和时尚有关的展览。比如在10月15号，澳洲创作组合ffixxed将在店内展示他们新一季的作品。 A longer list of the designers on offer: Anntian-Berlin, Germany Ccchu-Hong Kong Com-pa-ny-Helsinki, Finland Fabrics Interseason-Vienna, Austria ffixxed-Melbourne, Australia Johannes Faktotum-New York, USA Makin Jan Ma-London, UK Mundi-Reykjavik, Iceland Patrik Ervell-New York, USA Pelican Avenue-Antwerp, Belgium Rozalb de Mura, Bucharest, Romania Siv Stoldal-Tyssoy, Norway Skyward-Gothenburg, Sweden Theatre de la Mode-London, UK

Ritchie stocks his fashion pharmacy with his favorite designers, who tend to steer clear of both old rules and new trends as they play with volume and cut, meaning selections include many non-restrictive and oversized garments. Reflecting the intentions of both the designers and Ritchie, the shop is not divided into gendered sections: if it fits and you like it, don’t worry about tired guidelines. Anyway, the androgyny on offer here is more progressive than provocative. The 20 designers are from over 10 countries, including Finland, Austria and the Netherlands. Key are Daniel Palillo, Germany’s Anntian, Austria’s Fabrics Interreason, Pelican Avenue, and Skyward.

The second floor gallery will host events related to art and fashion such as the upcoming exhibition on 10/15th by Australian art collaborative, ffixxed. The rooftop was the site for the recent flea market that will hopefully become a regular event.

二层和三层天台的展览空间定期举办文化和时尚有关的展览。比如在10月15号，澳洲创作组合ffixxed将在店内展示他们新一季的作品。

A longer list of the designers on offer:

Anntian-Berlin, Germany
Ccchu-Hong Kong
Com-pa-ny-Helsinki, Finland
Fabrics Interseason-Vienna, Austria
ffixxed-Melbourne, Australia
Johannes Faktotum-New York, USA
Makin Jan Ma-London, UK
Mundi-Reykjavik, Iceland
Patrik Ervell-New York, USA
Pelican Avenue-Antwerp, Belgium
Rozalb de Mura, Bucharest, Romania
Siv Stoldal-Tyssoy, Norway
Skyward-Gothenburg, Sweden
Theatre de la Mode-London, UK