(Lyn) Some of you will remember Yvonne who started Ruby’s with me a few years ago and who moved to Shanghai to work – in an earlier post on this website, Yvonne had described the vintage scene in Shanghai
I made the trip out there to see her recently and she had already done her homework in finding some great vintage shops for me to visit. Shanghai is a cosmopolitan city with a long history of foreign trade and the very lovely French Concession area of the city is a vibrant hub of hip young bars, restaurants and trendy shops including a lot of vintage. All this interspersed with Art Deco apartment blocks and the every day life of normal Chinese folk.
The stock was nicely displayed as a mixture of delicate garments from the 20s and 30s through to vibrant prints from the 70s, as well as jewellery and accessories. In one shop, the assistant said that most of the items came from Japan which is logical when you think about it as it was only a few years ago that anything western was frowned upon as bourgeois and decadent and everyone worn the same drab Mao suit. Prices were on a par with London so no bargains to be had although I did treat myself to 2 brooches. Some US imports lke Re-Mix shoes were evident and the famous Shanghai Ladies are present on cosmetics, postcards and other decorative items in mainstream shops as well.
Apart from the assistants in the shop, I did only see one person dressed in classic vintage style – sharp 30s bob, red lips, green velvet dress, although the normal street style of young Chinese can be quite eclectic.
The vintage scene in Beijing is quite different – more of an 80s vibe with a fashion of wearing a hat on the back of the head and there were plenty of hat shops to chose from. By sheer chance, there were 4 or 5 vintage shops within walking distance of my hotel in a Hutong district (old alleyways) I had a chance to look at some of them when I wasn’t being marched round the tourist sights but again, prices were quite high and stock was more recent than that in Shanghai.
Still, isn’t it nice to know that vintage is alive and kicking in a country that you may not expect to find it?
