Significant Cars Debut at Auto Shanghai 2013
对不起，此内容只适用于English。
Vera Wang, the queen of bridal wear, opens a two-story, 850 square meters store in Shanghai – her largest flagship store – to controversy.
Wang’s first China store charges a non-refundable fee of 3,000 yuan (US$482) to try on bridal gowns for 90 minutes. Furthermore, potential clients will have to make appointments “several weeks” in advance, according to The Global Times.
If the customer purchases a wedding gown, the fee will be deducted from the purchase; otherwise, the fee can be used toward other items in the store.
The company indicated that the “trying or fitting fee” is a way to protect its designs. Photo-taking or filming is also ban in the store.
This practice of charging a “trying fee” is not new as some Hong Kong bridal shops have similar practices. However, for a company who wants to do business in China, this policy will not endear the company to Chinese clients who are already sensitive to disparities they see between shopping experiences overseas and in China. The mandatory “trying fee” will likely be a hard sell.
The Xintiandi store displays 80 dresses with prices from 30,000 yuan (US$4815) to 300,000 yuan (US$48,174) and features three dressing rooms and one VIP room.
photo credit: vera wang
Via red-luxury.com
Designed by Simon Kwan and recently launched by Shanghai based startup, lgcldesigns, the SIMPLcase is a sleek iPhone case that discreetly and safely stores up to 3 SIM cards and the iPhone’s SIM eject tool and also turns any credit card into a kickstand to allow iPhone to be used hands-free.
Recently launched on popular crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter, it’s now available for pre-orders starting as low as $12, including free worldwide shipping.
The Yu Bar is the glamorous new rooftop bar of the newly opened Shanghai Marriott
Luwan. Located on the banks of the Huangpu River overlooking the Expo 2010 site and
the Lupu Ridge the bar is located on the 28th and 29th floor and features a large
outdoor terrace offering guests phenomenal views of the city.
![This ride was built up for Shane with some deluxe components The frame was hand torched only at the lugs. It makes for an incredible detail, and with the hard-ano rims this bike is easily one of [Factory Five's] nicest builds to date!](http://chinadesignhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/7842488932_d0d5cb2e57_o-320x493.jpg)
A recent article in Jing Daily about fixed wheel bicycle culture in Beijing, including fixie bike polo, has whet my appetite for and nudged me ever closer to ditching my 21 gear mountain bike in favor of a single speed, fixed-gear road bike. I’ll admit it: there’s something beautifully elegant and minimalistic about fixed-gear bikes. They are usually devoid of mechanical complication, with the most fanatical fixie purists eschewing even brakes (something that I cannot fathom in the sudden stop and go nature of Shanghai city riding). With no cables, gear levers, derailleurs, or shock absorbers to add weight, complexity, and clutter up the visual purity of the bike, you’re left with a beautifully clean geometric shape.
In 2008 Gensler broke ground on the sustainable Shanghai Tower in the Pudong district of Shanghai, China. The tower is currently in construction and it’s one of three supertall buildings in Pudong, including the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center. The elegant structure spirals up to the sky, and once it is completed in 2014 it will become the second tallest tower in the world — only second to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The 632 meter tall structure is a testament to both modern architecture and the potential of engineering, and it also sets a precedent for sustainable super structures. The tower will take the form of nine cylindrical buildings stacked atop each other, enclosed by layers of glass, and hosting public space for visitors including atriums, gardens, cafes, restaurants, retail space, a hotel, and 360-degree views of the city. The building will also include a rainwater recycling system and a series of wind turbines able to generate up to 350,000 kWh of electricity per year. But most notably, the tower’s glass façade was designed specifically to reduce wind loads on the building by 24%, which means that fewer construction materials are needed (including 25% less structural steel). We recently spoke to Gensler‘s Chris Chan, Design Director and member of the tower’s design team, who gave us some insight on what it has taken to get the Shanghai Tower built, and how Building Information Modeling (BIM) has played a crucial role from concept to construction. Jump ahead for our fascinating interview with Chris!
Via Inhabitat
YAANG is an independent boutique based in Shanghai and run by designer Wang Yang. She tries to combine the visual impact of Western design with a modern Chinese aesthetic. Wang Yang has previously spent time in Europe, before moving back to China to set up a store in Xintiandi, Shanghai. Below is her range of ‘double happiness’ designs.
