Shanghai Tang has a long list of celebrity customers, including Chinese actress Zhang Yuqi. Photos provided to China Daily

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Shanghai Tang A/W 2014 collection

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.