Shanghai is buzzing with parties, glitz and glamor

As the year draws to a close, Shanghai is hosting exclusive parties, opening new boutiques, and staging exhibitions with designers and industry professionals displaying the latest in luxury and fashion trends.

Plaza 66 Shanghai

Last week, Plaza 66 hosted the three-day Home To Luxury dress-up party. To celebrate "Resplendent Galaxy," it partnered with over 100 global brands in luxury, fashion, music, and art.

"This is our seventh year hosting the Home To Luxury party. We'd like to thank our 'Hang Lung Club' members, brand tenants, and partners for their continued support," said Derek Siu Fai Pang, senior director of Hang Lung Properties. "We are dedicated to 'creating a premium living space' and promoting a future that is sustainable. We believe that Plaza 66 and other Hang Lung 66 complexes throughout China will continue to set the urban trend."

Singer-songwriter Jam Hsiao and popular singer Mika performed at the event.

Gao Yuanyuan, brand spokesperson of CHAUMET, Jerry Yan Chengxu, who promotes GIORGIO ARMANI, Zhou Yutong, brand friend of BOTTEGA VENETA, and Nie Yuan, brand friend of CANALI, were among the high-profile guests who attended the event.

Fantasy and unique installation art have made the Home To Luxury celebration popular every year. On November 10, photographers had a field day clicking the galaxy-themed giant hot-air balloon installation in the east square. The "Resplendent Galaxy" theme created a vast display of brilliant stars that took those in attendance on an interplanetary adventure.

CHARLENE CLASSIC

CHARLENE CLASSIC, a jewelry brand, marked its 10th anniversary with the "The Jewelry Art of Bamboo Fan" art exhibition at the historic Sunke Villa. The display modernized Eastern aesthetics by combining art and jewelry.

The exhibition showed the brand's decade-long pursuit of dreams and craftsmanship.

The brand's new series "Bamboo Fan" stood out as the most notable display, drawing inspiration from literati culture and bamboo.

The show featured approximately 100 luxury jewelry pieces. The "Landscape Fan" collection which showcased the collection's unique heritage, was a highlight.

The 2017 collection, which was launched at the Forbidden City in Beijing, features large-scale fan-shaped design inspired by the Forbidden City's architecture and mountain and river motifs and embodies the brand's highest form of art.

CHARLENE CLASSIC displayed its jewelry workshop, where guests could see the brand's artists' exquisite wax carvings and gemstone inlay under a microscope.

The "Precious Treasures" pavilion displayed about 100 rare and precious emeralds, rubies, and diamonds.

The Colombian Muzo mine's "Muzo" emeralds were especially sought-after. With rich colors, high-cut clarity, and generous size, they are every collector's dream.

Experts in Qing Dynasty history accompanied visitors in appreciating fan treasures by renowned artists. The brand has always had a thing for fans, which embody classical elegance and are the pinnacle of Eastern aesthetics.

The Shanghai exhibition is only the first stop on a cross-country art tour. The exhibition will be on display in the capital, Beijing, for ten days beginning in December, with the theme "The Jewelry Art of Bamboo Fan."

Focal powered by Naim

A new Focal powered by Naim store has opened in Shanghai. The design-led, experiential space is located in the Yuexing Home Plaza Shopping Center and offers sophisticated in-store audio experiences.

The Focal and Naim brands, which have presence in Europe, Asia, north and south America, and the Middle East, were merged with the Vervent Audio group in 2011. They bring their own set of expertise to the table. Focal produces high-end speaker drivers and loudspeakers in France. Its expertise extends to integrated solutions, headphones, in-car systems, professional studio monitors, and yachts. In the United Kingdom, Naim specializes in cutting-edge electronics and all-around streaming systems.

Visitors to the store in Shanghai will discover an astonishing assortment of products, including hi-fi loudspeakers, integrated home cinema loudspeakers, high-fidelity headphones, music streaming gadgets, and amplification systems, such as the iconic Grande Utopia and the Naim Statement.

The demonstration rooms also allow guests to enjoy the ultimate listening experience and fully immerse themselves in the sound that Focal and Naim are known for.

The store's experienced staff provide assistance to every customer, from music enthusiasts to audiophiles, as well as bespoke information on equipment selection, installation, and how to get the most out of the products.

Montblanc

Montblanc is honoring Muhammad Ali with the Great Characters Muhammad Ali™ Collection, a limited edition product that celebrates the three-time heavyweight champion and his humanitarian efforts. Montblanc's Great Characters line captures Ali's rise from a young boxing champion to becoming a symbol of inspiration.

Ali, who was born Cassius Clay in 1942, became famous after winning a gold medal as an amateur light heavyweight at the 1960 Summer Olympics. Three Montblanc editions commemorate Ali's 1964, 1974, and 1978 victories. The pens' design incorporates Ali's life through boxing tape, butterfly designs, and famous quotes.

The Special Edition pen captures Ali's boxing career. The ropes of the ring are engraved on the cone, while the cap resembles a punchbag. The barrel is wrapped in matte black precious resin, like hand bandages.

The gold-coated cone celebrates Ali's 1960 Summer Games victory with "ROMA MCMLX." The cap symbolizes his 1964 Miami win over Sonny Liston, where he declared, "I shook up the world." The Montblanc emblem on the cap top bears the number "1" in honor of his first world title. The cone features the engraving "MIAMI 1964."

With a yellow gold-coated bandage design and green lacquered lines depicting boxing ring ropes, the Limited Edition 1942 pays tribute to Ali's birth year. Inspired by Ali's "Rumble in the Jungle" battle in 1974, the pen features a white and black lacquer cap with gold intarsia. The yellow gold-coated cap ring bears engravings of Ali's winning posture and "KO-W 8 (15)" (knockout in the eighth of 15 rounds). The cone depicts memorable fights from 1974 and 1975, and the cap features a skeletonized clip inscribed "ALI" and a lacquered butterfly. The solid Au 750 gold bi-color nib features an engraving of Ali's boxing glove.

The cap of the Limited Edition 98, lacquered in blue guilloche, resembles a punchbag with hanging boxing gloves, recalling Ali's 1978 victory. His victory is marked by the phrase "W 15 (15)," while the cap top is adorned with the numeral "3" in solid Au 750 gold. The yellow gold-coated clip is diamond-inscribed with "ALI," evoking the victory belt encircled by a laurel wreath.

Ali's 1998 "Messenger of Peace" designation is signified by the cap, which contains a hand-engraved dove in solid Au 750 gold and is limited to 98 pens. The gold forepart features Ali's six principles, and the solid Au 750 yellow gold nib features his face encircled by six stars.