Our Story
SHANGHAI TANG IS JOYFUL, MODERN, & EVOCATIVE WITH EASTERN ELEGANCE AND PLAYFUL IRREVERENCE ROOTED IN CULTURAL AUTHENTICITY.
OUR STORY
The story of SHANGHAI TANG begins thirty years ago, with a melange of evocative contrasts, calling to mind Chinese culture, Eastern exoticism, old money, authenticity, mood, and moments in time - putting on a Tang jacket, wearing a Fortune necklace, or smelling our Ginger Flower scent.
Over the three decades since our founding, the essence of SHANGHAI TANG has infused luxury fashion and lifestyle with this unique aesthetic, and the joie de vivre that our founder, David Tang KBE, celebrated with artists, celebrities, and royals to make life a party.
The stars of our story are the men and women who love SHANGHAI TANG and aspire to our the richness of lifestyle, authenticity of our cultural influences, and alluring charm layered with humour, irreverence, and good taste.
OUR LIFESTYLE
SHANGHAI TANG celebrates a life with style, passion, and brilliance reflected in the richness of evocative contrasts and the luxury of a life well lived. Core to our passion for lifestyle is the love of expressing cultural influences, playful irreverence, joyful parties, large gatherings of friends, exclusive restaurants and hotels, connecting with art and artists, and striving to be successful for generations.
Our Story
OUR AESTHETIC
The SHANGHAI TANG aesthetic evokes memories and passion, capturing modern romanticism with culture-stained streets, neon lights, lush interiors, and desirable experiences, all layered in timeless luxury, vivid memories, irreverence, and the poetry of fleeting moments. It is a visually rich blend of saturated colours, intimate gatherings, dynamic movement, emotional depth, humour, and irony.
SHANGHAI TANG’s aesthetic is joyful, modern, and evocative with playful irreverence and Eastern elegance, infused with cultural overtones spanning millennia and exquisite craftsmanship honed for generations.
Core to our aesthetic is cultural authenticity - the European interpretation of Eastern influences, the Shanghai-inspired art deco and chinoiserie of the 1930s, influences from contemporary art, and the designs of our stores and hospitality, all infused with cultural overtones spanning millennia and exquisite craftsmanship honed for generations.
THIRTY YEARS OF HISTORY & INFLUENCE
SHANGHAI TANG has impacted global luxury enormously over three decades, creating a globally appealing and culturally rooted lifestyle with passion and brilliance, and an aesthetic with richness from Eastern elegance and playful irreverence. Many of the inspirations we first pioneered have influenced luxury, fashion, and design worldwide.
1994
Sir David Tang founded the SHANGHAI TANG brand in Hong Kong and set up a flagship store in the Pedder Building, an iconic building in Central, Hong Kong.
1997
SHANGHAI TANG opened its flagship store on Madison Avenue in New York.
Gong Li wore the SHANGHAI TANG power suit on the back cover of Time magazine's Asia special edition, Hong Kong 1997.
SHANGHAI TANG Hong Kong Handover-themed handkerchief was included in the collection of the V&A Museum in the UK.
2001
SHANGHAI TANG ‘Mao Zedong’ mug included in the collection of the V&A Museum in the UK.
2003
Officially entered the mainland market, opening stores in Shanghai and Beijing.
2005
SHANGHAI TANG ‘Mao Zedong watch’ from the 90s was included in the British Museum collection.
2007
Launched the "Mandarin Collar Society" to promote Chinese stand-up collars, encouraging men to abandon traditional suits and ties in favor of more comfortable and open Chinese stand-up collars for business and formal occasions.
2009
Opened 1881 Heritage flagship store in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.
2010
Invited Chinese performance artist Li Wei to present his work "Swept Away Luxury" at 1881 Heritage flagship store.
2011
First Chinese brand to conduct a live online show.
2012
Opened SHANGHAI TANG Mansion, the brand's new flagship store at 1 Duddell's, Central, Hong Kong, a three-storey building, the largest dedicated store in the world. The flagship store marks a new milestone in the brand's history, with its iconic facade made of sculpted glass and brass, paying tribute to the 1930s Shanghai Art Deco style with a modern image.
2013
Opening of the flagship store at Cathay Cinemas in Shanghai.
2014
20th Anniversary: SHANGHAI TANG celebrated the brand's 20th anniversary with a city-wide "China Fashion Chic" event at Shanghai Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015. An unprecedented gathering of Chinese and Hollywood stars, celebrities and international fashion celebrities, including Academy Award-winning actress Nicole Kidman.
2017
Ownership of SHANGHAI TANG is transferred from the Swiss Richemont Group to Hong Kong private equity fund Cassia Investments and Italian entrepreneur Alessandro Bastagli.
The brand's founder, Sir David Tang, passed away.
2018
The controlling stake in the brand is transferred to the Chinese group Lunar Capital Investments, with Victoria Tang-Owen, daughter of the brand's founder, as Creative Director. With a keen sense of fashion and aesthetics, Victoria Tang-Owen infuses the brand with a new style, designed with the Chinese luxury lifestyle while fusing modern design elements to reinterpret the brand aesthetic unique to SHANGHAI TANG.
SHANGHAI TANG 90s Mao Zedong watch included in the British Museum collection.
2019
Silver Jubilee: To celebrate the brand's 25th anniversary and to look back on a quarter century of cultural heritage and exciting designs, SHANGHAI TANG launched a series of special curations, including a crossover co-branded collection with renowned Chinese artist Xu Bing.
2021
First exclusive collaboration with designer Yuni Ahn and presented the Yuni Ahn for SHANGHAI TANG 2021 pre-fall collection.
2022
Opening of SHANGHAI TANG first concept store “Dawning Spring” at Shanghai Taikoo Hui.
2023
SHANGHAI TANG’s First appearance at Milan Fashion Week for Fall/Winter 2023.
