On the highway to style
If you’ve been following our Shanghai guides for a few editions, you’ll know we’ve had our eyes on Helen Lee. A graduate of Shanghai’s prestigious DHU-Lasalle International Design College, Helen’s first brand, INSH has been pushing the envelope of the Chinese fashion scene since 2003 with her vibrant, youthful creations. This year, she launched her eponymous line and opened a standalone boutique in Shanghai’s chi-chi Jing’An district. Tai hao le!
Handle with care
In the era of ridiculously-shaped dishes that see your fork diving straight into your vinaigrette, we yearn for dinnerware that is functional yet elegant. Imagine our delight when we discovered Asianera, a bijou local operation keeping the age-old tradition of artisanal porcelain alive, right in its birthplace. From the design to moulding, firing and hand-painting the delicate crockery, it’s all done meticulously in-house. Little wonder it’s been one of our firm faves since the earliest editions of the Shanghai guide.
Capital cottons
Silk pouches, embroidered quilts, brocade throws – what fabulous souvenirs they’d make from your travels through Shanghai and Beijing, if only you could find your way through all the gaudy, mass-manufactured crud being peddled throughout the Middle Kingdom. Well, thank heavens for Shanghai Trio, who set up in their namesake city twelve years ago, and have just opened their first branch in Beijing, dedicated to injecting clean-lined, Franco-Sino sensibility into a range of home linens, apparel and accessories while keeping traditional craft techniques alive.
Follow us on 
