Sitting in the spacious presidential suite of the Langham Xintiandi Hotel in downtown Shanghai, Raphael le Masne de Chermont, executive chairman of the luxury lifestyle brand Shanghai Tang, talks confidently and eloquently about his plans for the brand, which is known for its interpretation of Chinese culture and craftsmanship.

Le Masne de Chermont has an independent and energetic disposition, which is very much in line with the spirit of Shanghai Tang, a relatively young brand within the Switzerland-based luxury group Richemont SA.

Shanghai Tang has been growing at double-digit figures in recent years, and le Masne de Chermont is confident in the future of the brand, which is evident in his plans for the Chinese and global market.

Apart from opening a boutique store in Macao and preparing the renovation of the store in London, Shanghai Tang is putting more emphasis on the Chinese mainland, although the company is based in Hong Kong.

Apart from opening new stores in Beijing and second-tier cities like Chongqing, Shenyang in Liaoning province, Harbin in Heilongjiang province and Shenzhen in Guangdong province, the brand will also open stores in all travel retail areas in China, which is set to raise its influence in the mainland market based on its already existing 12 stores.

"People are going to find us in all the key airports in China. There is a lot of traffic, and people have the time to shop at airport. I shop a lot at the airport," le Masne de Chermont says, laughing.

"But the game now is not so much about opening new stores but growing within the boutiques. So it's the question of adjusting the offer to optimize our investment. Real estate is expensive, especially in Hong Kong," he says.

To keep the range of products fresh is also important. Shanghai Tang will launch its own perfume in January. It is also aiming this year to bring in a wider range of womenswear so that it can provide clothes for every occasion.

As this year marks the 20th anniversary of Shanghai Tang, it will also be designing a lot of limited editions to mark the occasion, such as sunglasses. The brand's willingness to embrace new ideas is the secret behind its youth and energy. Even le Masne de Chermont is wearing the latest spring/summer collection.

He was in Shanghai in June for the Shanghai Film Festival. Shanghai Tang co-organized the American Film Night with the Motion Picture Association of America.

As the executive explains, one of the two main sources of inspiration of the brand in terms of fashion is Chinese modern art and Chinese cinema.

"Our flagship store in Hong Kong is dedicated to modern art and our flagship store in Shanghai is dedicated to cinema. We are called Shanghai Tang. Therefore Shanghai is a source of our inspiration in terms of history and creativity. We like to pass on the warm message from Shanghai, even though we are based in Hong Kong," he says.

To make the brand appealing to its target customers, who le Masne de Chermont describes as consumers between the ages of 30 and 45, Shanghai Tang has to choose the right designers for it.

In Hong Kong, Shanghai Tang has 15 designers who are not only able to design within the brand's DNA but also capable of fresh ideas and new creativity.

In selecting the right designer for the brand, le Masne de Chermont has clear ideas.

Above all else, he or she should be someone who does not plagiarize. It should be someone who understands Chinese culture, who has been fully exposed to the cliches of the culture and has an X-factor.

"What's missing in China, which will not take very long, is that people need to travel and see the beauty of the world. Then you will get inspired and then you can create," he says.

shijing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 07/10/2014 page10)