For nearly two decades, Eugene Rabkin has covered the global fashion scene with a critic’s eye. On his latest retail reconnaissance, the StyleZeitgeist founder headed to Shanghai, a city more often associated with malls and logo-covered merchandise than independent fashion. What he found instead was a thriving scene of avant-garde boutiques tucked away in restored mansions, industrial basements, and leafy French Concession courtyards.
Put “Shanghai” and “fashion” in the same sentence, and chances are you’ll conjure up an image of the city’s gleaming but soulless malls, their shelves stocked with indiscriminately branded merchandise. While this stereotype may not be entirely unfounded, it is as dated as skinny jeans.