A small oasis of luxury and peace amid Shanghai's skyscrapers
A zen garden and two boutiques, designed by Neri&Hu, in which to shop among linens and silks for the home and research brands from around the world.
by Lisa Corva
2' min read
2' min read
Amidst Shanghai's dizzying skyline, there is a small oasis of luxury and peace where one can rest: Jisifang and Woven Moonlight are two boutiques designed by Neri&Hu, the Chinese architects who have also fascinated Europe. Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu, a couple at work and in life, have designed many buildings in the megalopolis where they live, so much so that a map could be drawn to discover the city through their projects, including one of the most refined hotels, The Waterhouse in South Bund, 19 rooms in an old 1930s building, or the brand new Artyzen New Bund 31 hotel, the recently opened New Bund theatre, but also the Blue Bottle Coffee cafés.
It is no coincidence that architects with such a refined sign were called in to imagine these two boutiques in a Zen garden. Jisifang was founded by Cao Jie, who has dedicated himself to the search for high-quality natural fabrics since 2005. It is a boutique, but it is also a world of its own, as Neri&Hu explain: "It is located in a wooden building, a kind of primitive hut, ideal for bringing out those pure materials of the Chiji and Duan collections, signed by Jie". It was he who in 2018 also decided to open Woven Moonlight next door, "a multi-brand space that brings together research-based fashion brands in a concrete building, almost a minimalist refuge". There you can find brands such as Arts & Science by Sonya Park in Tokyo, with vintage pieces, including workwear, revisited, among chic uniforms to wear every day. Or Casey/Casey, designed by Gareth Casey in Paris: men's, women's and unisex fashion in neutral colours, with shirts, T-shirts, trousers, all easily mixable (from €500).
Also from Paris comes Philippe Vidalenc's Chez Vidalenc. Then hemp carpets and cashmere scarves by Prïvate0204 (from 400 euros) from Copenhagen, hats [SCHA] created by the Polish Ewa Kulasek, once a sculptor, and Dutch scarves by Biek Verstappen. On this world tour in search of precious fabrics and garments, then there are the pieces by Margaret Howell, who calls herself a contemporary British designer and who in the 1970s began designing garments for men that, she noted, women also liked for their structure and functionality - for those who like her style, there is also a shop in Italy, in Florence (shirts from 200 euros). Staying in Italy, there are two local names in Shanghai's Zen Garden: Society Limonta's fine sheets and the soft creations of Album di Famiglia. Lastly, the light clothes with sophisticated fabrics by Ricorrrobe, a brand designed by Rico Tsubota, a Japanese designer who lives in London and produces everything in his atelier, or the knitted bags and jewellery by Sophie Digard.
"For me, nature has a kind of power," says Cao Jie. 'Wear a natural fabric on your body, you feel it is alive. Whether it's silks, linens or fine cottons, the brands I choose are by designers with a deep understanding of beauty. There are still some in the world'. His favourite fabric? 'Linen. Relaxed, natural. It is like a lover that cannot be missed in life'.
