Sanjiv Hulugalle has done more than most hotel general managers to make sure the Four Seasons Hotel Beijing stands out in a crowded luxury landscape, as this Jing Daily article reports. “I’ve been across the globe. In reality, there is a consistency based on people wanting great service and experiences. In China you are seeing a surge of travelers and at a scale that’s unique to the rest of the world; you have people who want to experience things for the first time, but you also have people who have traveled a lot globally and want a luxury experience in their own country.†Discussing the pop-up shops, Sanjiv continues: “The idea for pop-ups started small. Now people are lining up to get a slot. It’s not a huge revenue generator. It creates a buzz. This place is packed compared to six to eight months ago.†When asked to comment on whether a pop-up shop concept would be considered off-brand for a luxury property the General Manger believes, “When you talk from a brand positioning perspective, we as a hotel are very much based around creating experiences for our guests, not only personalized, but unique, that the guest may not have the opportunity to experience anywhere else in the world.â€
Category: Stylites Projects
Pics From Juma
The Juma Studio pop-up at the Four Seasons Hotel Beijing brings a festival of color and tribal print to the lobby.
Printed leather clutches are a particular highlight and the latest addition to the Juma repertoire. Â I haven’t seen this level of detail and precision on leather.
Juma in Beijing
More on the ‘Journey’ by Juma – now happening at the Four Seasons Hotel Beijing – from The Beijinger and Time Out. Â After this pop-up, running until Nov. 26, Juma products will be available permanently on the sixth floor of the Four Seasons.
American Rag Party
Rocker Gia and fashion blogger Yukiko at a dinner thrown by Mark Werts in Beijing. More from Inside Retail Asia on American Rag plans in China.
Juma Studio @ FSBJ
‘Journey’ by Juma Studio opens at the Four Seasons Hotel Beijing next week.
For the last few months we have been working on a program of pop-up shops at the hotel that I believe has the potential to remake the retail landscape here in China.
With space at shopping centers in China’s top cities difficult to come by for multi-brand stores and smaller designers and traffic far too low on streets, luxury hotels are an interesting alternative for independent players. A regular flow of high-end customers, premium locations, a tendency on the Mainland toward very large lobbies and the need of these hotels for fresh content all combine to offer a very attractive environment for independent players in fashion. These types of shopping experiences have been seen at hotels in the West but they are more important in China, given the size and speed of development of the market. Niche retailers like Wuhao or a small, start-up, brand like Juma can get their foothold in this market via this kind of event.
Here’s an interesting article from the Jing Daily on the subject.
Click below to see some of the rudimentary mood boards that I created.
Chiara @ Wuhao
Blogger Chiara in the Wuhao Curio Box at the Four Seasons Hotel Beijing, which will be in the lobby of the hotel until October 29, 2014.
Menswear Pop-up
The pop-up of Principle M and Radiance Blue at the Four Seasons Hotel Beijing was captured by Frank Yu who is now one of Beijing’s major street style bloggers (here is his Instagram).  Below are some of the highlight products from the week – the bike above was probably the item that got the most attention.
Sartorialism @ FSBJ
Here are more photos of the Principle M x Radiance Blue x Four Seasons Hotel Beijing pop-up in Opus Lounge.
The HUB Breaks Through
The HUB has always had great exhibitors including well-known names like Naked and Famous, Chester Barrie, Evisu, Barbour, and Private V.C. White as well as countless niche and designer brands.  What it lacked in previous editions was a great venue close to the center of the city and a large group of  buyers and other key fashion industry figures from the Mainland.  With the China Fashion Forum and other top groups from the Mainland participating this time, The HUB really did feel like it was the center of the fashion industry action here.
The HUB #3, Next Week
I’m going to HK next week for the third edition of The HUB, Asia’s leading premium fashion trade fair and a partner of Stylites for over a year.
Two interviews of The HUB’s co-founder Peter Caplowe appeared on Jing Daily and Chiara’s Coffee Table recently. Have a look!
Jeffrey Ying – Class Among the Crass
Jeffrey Ying, who – as you might be gathering – was my companion during New York Fashion Week, masterfully brings the monsters to life on his blog, leisure class.
After reading his entry, you will see the NYC fashion elite as a bunch of ahistorical red necks. Choice venom is saved for luminaries Tim Blanks and Hamish Bowles, men who seem to have narrowly escaped working as mechanics or farm hands.
Jing Daily
Well, here it is, the great Jing Daily!  They will certainly end up being a rival to Stylites in search engines and such. It’s a very good idea though. One can hardly deny that and it is likely to be a good platform to start a consulting company that focuses on luxury and lifestyle in China. Here is a link to the Jing Daily site.  I wonder if one collaborates or how it should be handled. I suppose they will be doing something a bit more rigid and structured than Stylites. Here you get a real glimpse into the gritty every day while Jing Daily appears more of a news site.