Ju Fu Chang designs a pattern for Shanghai's fashion brands
An exhibition of Chinese embroidery and qipao is on display at 108 Shangyuan on Changle Road.
Shanghai retailers have gone into partnership to inject new impetus for the development of independent brands on Shanghai's "Ju Fu Chang" area, which is a local version of New York's NoLita.
Ju Fu Chang stands for Julu, Fumin and Changle roads – backstreets that feed into the bustling Nanjing Road W. in Jing'an District. A pleasant retreat for expats and a popular hangout for fashionistas is contained within the three roads.
The area is dotted with cobblestone alleyways and historic buildings, which has created a charming vibe and drawn independent brands to open boutiques in the area.
Currently, of more than 200 curbside shops in the area, more than 80 percent of the fashion retailers are local brands. The area is an incubator for small brands, in particular, domestic fashion design.
Popular fashion design store LABELHOOD has outlet on Fumin Road.
In the latest effort to fuel the local business environment, a development alliance to boost development of local brands on the Ju Fu Chang area has been established, with the first to join including LABELHOOD, Fashion Lab and 108 Shangyuan.
LABELHOOD is a textbook example of the labels involved. It began as a single outlet on Fumin Road in 2011 and has become a leading independent platform for emerging fashion designers in China, having fostered and promoted more than 200 domestic brands from Shanghai to the world.
Fashion Lab is a newcomer to the area. It is presenting an exhibition of Chinese embroidery and qipao at 108 Shangyuan, a delightful and secluded courtyard tucked away at 672 Changle Road. It is a cultural creative park converted from the former office of the Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House.
Exquisite and elegant qipao offer a feast for the eye.
Fashion Lab reports it is considering launching a global tour of the exhibition, with a stop in Paris. It also plans to open a physical store in the park, selling more than 100 items of clothes, bags, jewellery, shoes and beauty products designed by local brands under the theme of sustainability.
According to the Jing'an District Commerce Commission, Nanjing Road W. is China's top commercial zone featuring more than 1,200 renowned brands, while backstreets like the Ju Fu Chang area play a complementary role to represent a personal touch.
Officials said a set of policies to grant resources to domestic brands for expansion, lower their rental and costs, and other favorable measures will be instigated.
