Where to find the best qipao tailors in Shanghai
Where to find the best qipao tailors in Shanghai
06/07/2018
(CNN) — Of all the dresses to have been worn in Shanghai, none can come close to matching the iconic status of the qipao (旗袍).
Get yourself a piece of this feminine, figure-hugging symbol of eternal sensuality at one of Shanghai's best qipao tailors. They don't claim to be the cheapest, but they do stand by their reputation as the very best.
Here's where you can find them the next time you travel to Shanghai:
Han Yi (瀚艺)
Hanyi is one of the most famous qipao destinations in Shanghai, in no small part thanks to 93-year-old tailor Chu Hongsheng. Zhu began his qipao-making apprenticeship at 16 and is still sometimes in the store, measuring customers to ensure they get a perfect fit.
If seeing Maggie Cheung's show-stopping costumes in Wong Kar-Wai's movie "In the Mood for Love" (also known as the best qipao advertisement in the history of the world) has inspired you to invest in a qipao for yourself, it might interest you to know that Chu actually made those qipaos.
If it's good enough for Maggie Cheung, it's good enough for us.
Han Yi (瀚艺), 217-221 Changle Lu, near South Shaanxi Lu 长乐路217-221号, 近陕西南路
Jin Zhi Yu Ye (金枝玉叶旗袍店)
From the moment you enter Jin Zhi Yu Ye, the feeling of old Shanghai is palpable. Though the decor of the store indicates a love of tradition, the qipaos being turned out by Ye Zi, the fashion-school graduate who runs this store, are anything but conservative.
Think bold colors and prints galore, with a particular love of lotus-themed fabrics in evidence. The range of silk, lace and cottons on offer are sourced from China and Japan, and a simple qipao without embroidery can be yours within 10 to 15 days (expect to wait up to one month for more complicated designs).
Jin Zhi Yu Ye (金枝玉叶旗袍店), 72 Maoming Nan Lu, near Huaihai Lu 茂名南路72号, 近淮海中路
Qipao By Jane
Nobody has done more to bring the humble qipao up-to-date for the modern woman than Jane Zhu (朱洁), the founder and designer of Qipao by Jane, and a sure source of some of the best qipao in Shanghai.
A riot of unconventional prints, materials and cuts make Zhu's qipaos a hot ticket item for women who are looking for a qipao with oodles of personality. The "Celeste" is a perfect example, with its daring cut-out back and detailed handmade lacework on the side slit.
Shanghai Long Feng Qipao (龙凤旗袍)
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