Home » World Traveler » World Views
» Neighborhood Shops Shanghai
From world-class art to locally designed jewelry, we’ve tracked down the best shopping in the world’s coolest cities. Find that last-minute holiday gift, or take home something memorable for yourself.
Best Neighborhood Shops in....
Best Neighborhood Shops
Shanghai
Brocade Country
616 Julu Lu, French Concession, 021.6279.2677
The Draw: A beautifully decorated indie store that sells lavish ceremonial gowns from China’s famously fashionable minority nationalities. The Scene: Run by two Anhui sisters born of a Miao mother and a Han father, Brocade Country is dotted with the dazzling traditional clothing associated with several of China’s 55 minority groups (Yao, Dong, and Miao foremost among them). Due to the size of the larger accoutrements and their delicate components, most of the gowns will likely be bought for display, but there are heaps of ornate accessories. Hot Tip: If you spy something you particularly fancy, ask for co-owner Dawn. She speaks great English, which will make any haggling that much easier.
Shirt Flag Room 8, Building 7, Lane 210 Taikang Lu District;
330 Nanchang Lu., French Concession, 021.6466.7009 shirtflag.com
The Draw: Imaginative urban T-shirt designs loaded with subtle Chinese references. Unlike so much souvenir fashion available in China, Shirt Flag sells stuff that can actually be worn back home. The Scene: Youth culture breeds in this pair of small but iconic Shanghai boutiques. Fashions and accessories have a definite street sensibility—built around simple slogans or motifs—but come with a peculiarly Chinese flair. Shirt Flag made its name by printing the first post-modern communist motifs to be seen in the People’s Republic, and there’s still a certain cachet about buying such products in a country that still (theoretically) adheres to Marxist values. Hot Tip: Shirt Flag now has its own record label. For deeper insights into Shanghai’s blossoming (albeit sometimes derivative) hip-hop scene, ask about the latest releases.
Spin #3, 758 Julu Lu, French Concession, 021.6279.2545
The Draw: The funkiest tea sets in town. Spin’s crockery and porcelain are fired in China’s most celebrated ancient kiln at Jingdezhen, but crafted with modern élan by a team of young Shanghai designers. The Scene: The shop floor has the stark, unadorned feel of a Pudong factory. Staff wear dumpy blue dungarees, and access to the showroom is via the warehouse at the front of the building. This topsy-turvy layout is reflected in the cleverly engineered products that line the shelves. Think deliberately cracked bowls, or double-spout teapots. Hot Tip: If you want to test how the various bits of crockery might look back at home, visit Spin’s two nearby restaurants, People 7 or Shintori Null II, which both use Spin-style cutlery and feature the same stark industrial decor.
