You Wish You Could Live Inside Lemaire's Homey New Store (EXCLUSIVE)
There is only one Lemaire. And until now, there was only one Lemaire store in China, a beautifully open nook situated in historic Chengdu. But the French house is slowly expanding its presence in China with a new space in Wukang, a typically exquisite tree-lined street within Shanghai's French Concession.
And, in imagery premiered here by Highsnobiety, Lemaire's new store is revealed to be as exquisite as its surroundings. So exquisite, in fact, it makes you wish you could live inside. Someone used to!
Shanghai's former French Concession is a colonialist remnant that's been absorbed back into the bustling city, though its charming European architecture and ample greenery remain. It's rich with restaurants, parks, boutiques, and ancient metalwork, and feels especially suited to host a Lemaire store given that other parts of Shanghai are flush with cutting-edge buildings reflective of its status as one of China's most "futuristic" hubs.
Lemaire's three-story flagship at 40 Wukang Road sits inside a residence designed in the '30s by famous local architect Dong Dayou, which the fashion house has kitted out in an effort to affect the feel of an actual house that one might live in, albeit one that comes well-stocked with Lemaire wearables and ephemera. There was once a family (or several families) living here and Lemaire has gone to lengths to make it look like an aspirtional, sun-soaked living space in line with its recent homey outposts in Ebisu, Tokyo, and Hannam, Seoul.
“The domestic dimension is essential: getting dressed is an intimate act, where boundaries between public and private begin to blur,” said Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran, Lemaire’s artistic directors. “This house project is an ode to Shanghai. We hope people come here seeking a reconnection with themselves – a suspended moment.”
The Lemaire Shanghai flagship's interior is a mix of old and new, East and West, with "pieces sourced from local vintage markets," according to the release, sitting alongside traditionalist Dutch furniture and Enzo Mari's unpretentious wooden wares. And that sense of frozen time is amplified by some additional personal touches from Lemaire and Tran, including "curated soundscapes," assembled alongside DJ Eric Lau's Huanlü project, and what the release calls "an eclectic selection of books."
Is it a Lemaire store or the world's most stylish AirBnB? Well, since you can't actually stay here, it's not at all the latter. But every visitor is welcome to sample the vibes for at least one suspended moment.
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