The city of Shanghai is on the pulse of it all. A burgeoning fashion hub in its own right, the past few years have seen the city leave an indelible mark on the sartorial set. Amidst the boom of the Shanghai Fashion Week circuit espcially, the city’s fashion scene has veritably shown its hand, barrelling ahead to the fore with its modish and creative approach to the realm. In 2024, there was the electric affair of Moncler Genius, which saw a mammoth ‘City of Genius’ erected in the historic shipyard on the Huangpu River that drew eyes from all over the globe with its celebrity attendance alone. Then viral runway shows—by way of Mark Gong’s showy excavation of the ‘housewife’ in this day and age and StaffOnly’s timely imagery of digital distortion—also came to play, cementing the rising station of Chinese fashion brands.
Over time, some designers have also been leaving their indelible mark on the sartorial scene. Think Chinese couture designer Cheney Chan’s theatrical designs, Ao Yes’s modern take on traditional culture, Feng Chen Wang’s heritage-forward approach and the girlhood of Shushu/Tong’s world—each brand has been painting a fresh portrait of the contemporary wardrobe, with its innovative silhouettes, intricate draping and quintessentially Chinese imagery. But ask any fashion-obsessed soul, and they’ll let on that there’s a spanning fleet of brands and hole-in-the-wall gems only waiting to be discovered. So it was only time that we sought out the sage advice from a style savant of the city itself—namely, French-Chinese model and content creator Angie Marqueton.
“The city’s style might seem neat, simple and chic from afar but if you zoom in closer, you’ll find that the devil is in the details for most Shanghai folk,” says Marqueton as she describes the sartorial sensibilities of the fashion capital after working in the city for three years. When asked to describe her own personal sense of style and the brands she enjoys most now, a number of smaller Chinese labels make the list: “I think I’m quite experimental with my wardrobe. Some of my favourite brands include labels like HuDieGongZhu and quirky accessories brand Emo Salad, which are both brands that know how to have fun with fashion. There’s also CfFierce, which takes a lot of inspiration from the world of anime and manga.”
Noting her flair for experimentation, Vogue Singapore spoke to Marqueton for an exclusive insider’s guide to the magnetic fashion capital. Below, get acquainted with her pick of the local hotspots and fashion concept stores to check out when in Shanghai.
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Haus Shanghai
Spanning four floors, Haus Shanghai is home to Gentle Monster, Tamburins, dessert arm Nudake, and a trippy exhibition space all in one. “Whilst Gentle Monster’s iconic Haus Shanghai is definitely the main attraction of Huaihai Road, the whole street is definitely worth checking out because it’s filled with a variety of designers and the hottest brands in Shanghai,” Marqueton adds.
798-812, Mid-HuaiHai Rd., Huangpu District, Shanghai
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Xian Suo Creative Park
“It’s a big building filled with small designers that not only sell jewellery and clothes, but you’ll also find unique furniture shops and cool bars. It’s actually where my model agency is based!” beams Marqueton. Granted, you could probably spend hours on end here, with Xian Suo’s multitude of lifestyle and fashion offerings, from vinyl shops and bookstores to unique culinary concepts and sustainable fashion concept stores. This is also where you’ll find Connais Toi, which stocks a varied mix of brands, from Peter Do and Lemaire to Niccolò Pasqualetti and D’heygere.
No. 98-1, Yanping Road, Shanghai
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Labelhood
At this point, Labelhood has become one of those must-visit spots for any fashion enthusiast. Recognised as a launching pad for the most promising emerging brands from the Chinese fashion scene, its founder-owner Tasha Liu is behind the discovery and mentorship of cult labels like Jacques Wei and Mark Gong. As summed up by Marqueton: “It’s one of the biggest boutiques in Shanghai, filled with all the popular and upcoming brands like Shushu/Tong, Louis Shengtao Chen, Mark Gong, and so many others. And they don’t specialise in just designer clothes, but also skincare and other homeware.”
No. 184, Fumin Road , Jing’an District, Shanghai
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Psycho Cycle
A multi-brand concept store, Psycho Cycle is for the cool girls—with a mix of eclectic, of-the-moment brands that cater to the hyper-feminine and trendy Y2K aesthetic. “There’s plenty of underrated small designers here with clothes and accessories for the hot girls who love their alternative, subversive styles,” adds Marqueton.
156 Fumin Road, No. 9, Jing’an District, Shanghai
