In Shanghai, where much of the retail experience revolves around futuristic architecture and viral collectables, Maison Dongliang offers a counterpoint. Housed in a red-roofed villa in the city’s desirable Changning district, the mix of homewares, beauty and fashion from Chinese and international designers encourages slow browsing. A visit feels less like being peddled merchandise and more like touring a house-museum.
Dongliang was opened as a multi-brand luxury shop in Beijing in 2009 by three young Chinese entrepreneurs whose initial goal was to spotlight homegrown design. The trio disbanded in 2015, with two leaving to focus on Chinese design incubator Labelhood, and one, Charles Wang, homing in on his east-meets-west mix for Dongliang. Stores in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Aranya followed, and last year, Wang and his partner Daniel Du opened a new shop in Shanghai, with a vision for a more avant-garde fashion store, called Maison Dongliang.