I won't lie I’m not big on Dior. Prior to visiting the Dior show at Ullens my experience with the brand was limited to a bright orange knock-off t-shirt I bought on the street that had a black power fist on it and happened to read, “Dior Not War.”

Being a human who lacks the ability to match clothing, I did not expect to understand or appreciate the Dior show, so I was surprised to find that it impressed me greatly. The show mixes original Dior dresses from the 1940s up to present, some of them so old they are falling apart, together with works of art inspired by Dior done by 22 different Chinese artists.

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Beijing has had its very own Olympics, it's got its very own cuisine so what else could it possibly need? The people over at Nike thought they had the answer to that conundrum when they commissioned the city’s very own sneaker. You heard right, Beijing has got it’s very own Nike shoe to confirm its place on the world map.

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On Nov 8, French Cognac producers Hennessy held what they like to call their Hennessy Artistry Beijing Halo out at the Moon River Club & Resort. The residential complex attached to the Moon River project, which is doing its best to add a bit of class to Tongzhou District, was recently at the center of a dispute between a house buyer and director Feng Xiaogang - Danwei has a nice summary of the subsequent court case here. Anyway, as part of their "Halo" Hennessy organized for Wyclef Jean, Jay Chou (Zhou Jielun), Wilber Pan, Lena Park and other celebrities to perform for the invite-only crowd.

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The second installment of China Fashion Week kicked off on Tuesday night with a fashion show at Aimer Plaza out in Wangjing's New Technology and Development Zone. The lingerie show was the first of about 40 events that will display the spring and summer collections of many of China's top fashion labels over the next week. The autumn and winter collections were revealed in March this year.

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This Friday is Halloween meaning you only have four days to get to work on a costume that could win you thousands of kuai and other great prizes at the huge range of Halloween-themed parties going on around town next weekend. China is a wonderland for those with a fetish for dressing up. If you’re feeling creative, any market and RMB 50 should suffice. If you need a bit more direction, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best places to go shopping for that prize-winning costume:

Alien Street Market
Laofanjie Shichang, Yabao Lu (south of Fulllink Plaza), Chaoyang District.
老番街市场, 朝阳区雅宝路

Beijing Wantong Market
2 Fuchengmenwai Dajie, Xicheng District. (6804 6283)
北京万通批发市场地址：阜成门外大街2号

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Astonishing scenes at Shin Kong Place this morning: Whilst the rest of the mall was as eerily quiet and empty as ever, those who made it up to the third floor were greeted with rows of security staff, frantic Shin Kong Place personnel, and perhaps the hippest-clad rabble imaginable, who were screaming, shouting, and at some points, throwing punches at the security staff.

They were all there trying to get their hands on a pair of Diesel’s limited and special edition “Dirty Thirty” jeans. Perhaps it was the extremely limited run of the jeans that caused panic (a mere 30,000 pairs have been released worldwide). Maybe it was the hyper-trendy style that everyone wanted a piece of. We’re putting our money, however, on the fact that these jeans were being sold at RMB 390 – the low price tag is apparently a gesture to thank Diesel’s fans for their loyalty over the past 30 years.

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We almost choked on our gongbao jiding when we heard this one, but believe it or not, you'll soon be able to buy clothing from Top Shop in Beijing. And not just any old rags either. We're happy to announce that the Kate Moss for Top Shop collection will soon be sold in the Beijing branch of Lane Crawford. Kate Moss' collections have been doing frightfully well back in Blighty, and will probably sell out in seconds here also. Sharpen those elbows, girls, it'll probably get nasty. For details of how to get to Lane Crawford, see the listing in our online directories.

Other excitement, for fans of posh clothing ... French brand Mushi is having a 50-80% off sale. They're trying to clear out the older stock in order to create some space for the new autumn/winter collection. We can't wait! For details of how to get to the Beijing branch of Mushi, see the listing in our online directories.

Yueshow (the poor man's Yashow) is soon to snog the wrecking ball. Rumour has it that it's going to make way for a Dazhong electronics store. Either way, it'll be chai'd fairly soon. The good news here is that the stall holders are desperately trying to flog whatever stock they've got before time is called, and now is your chance to get the bargain of the century. We've heard rumours of less-than-genuine Crocs being sold for RMB 5 per pair, which some might argue still represents something of a rip off, but there we are. Buy now, or forever hold your peace.

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Olympic fever is in full swing, and for those who prefer to give their credit cards a workout, there’s ample opportunity to spend, spend, spend. Many new stores have surfaced in time for the Games, and of these we recommend checking out the following:

Shanghai Tang

This upscale brand has long pushed the hackneyed vision of Chinese design that foreign tourists (particularly moneyed ones) know and love, making the timing for this opening particularly apt. However, the brand has been evolving, and now offers more than dragon-embellished silk qipao and mandarin collar pajamas, which does make the positioning of the new store somewhat disappointing. The stunning Fall/Winter collection isn’t on sale yet, but the gorgeous leather and jade bags (from RMB 4,500) are most certainly worth snapping up, especially given the 30 percent summer discount on selected lines. This is a label to watch, and this larger second store is worth checking out. But if you must insist upon sporting attire, Shanghai Tang has released a “charming” take on a basketball shirt (complete with Chinesey embroidery).

Daily 10am-10pm. 1-2, 1/F, Ritz-Carlton Beijing, 83A Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District (5908 8048) Visit the website for more Beijing locations.
潮阳区建国路甲83号丽思卡尔顿酒店大堂层1-2铺

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by Paul Pennay




When Olympic visitors begin to start streaming from the exits of T3 in the coming week, it's likely that one of the first Beijingers that many of them will meet is going to be a Beijing cab driver. Well aware of this, taxi drivers have been busy learning English and city authorities released a set of rules covering the behavior and appearance of Beijing's taxi driving gemen'r and jiemen'r. Late last week it was reported that come the Olympics, all of Beijing's taxi drivers will be required to wear the same uniform. Until now, each company had its own uniform, and drivers appeared to interpret this uniform in their own unique way. From Aug 1, cab drivers will also be required to wear the new uniforms pictured above. The clothes are provided free to the drivers, but they face a fine if they don't wear them. Read more...

images courtesy of Shanghai Tang

As we gear up for the Olympics, more new buildings and lavish venues are rushing to take advantage of the global attention that the games will focus on Beijing – although it seems not all of them are going to make the August deadline. After a hastily arranged art opening back in May, the Legation Quarter revealed a more composed and ready-to-meet-the-world version of itself late last month when it invited Beijing's glitterati around for the unveiling of Shanghai Tang's 2008 Autumn Winter collection. Over 400 people, including film star Zhou Xun, American director Andy Tennant and photo artist Xiao Huiwang attended what was the label's first international event in Beijing.

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