SHANG XIA: Jiang Qiong Er

The SHANG XIA brand is developed by the well-known designer Jiang Qiong Er and France’s Hermès Group. It aims to celebrate a contemporary fine living lifestyle. Impressed and fascinated by the attempt to embody time and emotion in objects, TLmag sat down with CEO and Art Director Jiang Qiong Er to reflect on her experience.

TLmag: Could you elaborate on the start of Shang Xia? What prompted the collaboration with France’s Hermès Group?

Jiang Qiong Er (J.Q.): SHANG XIA was born out of a beautiful encounter, between the top luxury family group Hermès and myself.  Both of us were deeply attracted and passionate about how to translate and turn the Chinese heritage into a contemporary China style and lifestyle: a dialogue with China’s exquisite handcrafts, 5000 years of cultural treasure, oriental aesthetics, and life philosophy. The passion soon turned into an innovative project, create a Chinese Luxury House: SHANG XIA.

TLmag: Could you reflect on how your style as a designer merged with France’s Hermès group?

J.Q.: By mixing oriental culture with contemporary design and blending the essence of the East and West, SHANG XIA aims to create contemporary eastern lifestyle aesthetics while promoting Chinese exquisite craftsmanship to the world. Some of its items are collected by museums worldwide. SHANG XIA, presenting heritage and innovation, embodies an oriental philosophy that links tradition and modernity, the East and the West, human and nature – a harmony of beauty, warmth, and balance.

TLmag: How do you translate this celebration of contemporary fine living lifestyle in your materiality?

J.Q.: SHANG XIA aims to use its distinctive combination of contemporary design with exquisite handicrafts, Chinese culture, and excellent quality. Wooden furniture, bamboo woven on porcelain, cashmere felt, eggshell porcelain… The finest materials are selected for each SHANG XIA piece, perfected with exquisite traditional craftsmanship. Every piece crafted by SHANG XIA is made from superior materials, expertly shaped down to the last detail. This is the creme of Chinese manufacturing. Remarkable techniques are transformed by the designer’s inspiration so that they embody both beauty and utility. What we are doing is re-interpreting traditional handicrafts using contemporary design – compatible to the aesthetic and practical needs of the 21st century.

TLmag: What do you see as current important dynamics in the design field?

J.Q.: The current design field has a strong know-how of the luxury market, but the same can’t be said for their knowledge of being able to deal with the kind of high-end brand excellence that needs time and emotion to grow. SHANG XIA embodies the brand’s goal to set emotion as the foundation: one that is rooted in China, and pursues a contemporary life of elegance belonging to all people. Ultimately SHANG XIA hopes to create a desire for the modern expression of Chinese heritage before customers even realize they need it.

TLmag: And finally, we’re curious how you see the future of  SHANG XIA?

J.Q.: We just celebrated our 10th anniversary, and have stepped onto our second ten-year adventure. During the first ten years, we have built three foundations: the creation of the brand SHANG XIA, the brand Value (not revenue); an ecosystem of crafts supply chain of excellence from China; and the creation of Shang Xia style. After 10 years of constructing the foundation, we are now ready for the second ten years with more accelerated development. Going through Covid-19 in 2020, we are still opening 3 big stores in China, Beijing, Hangzhou, and Chengdu. We are full of confidence. By 2025, 50% of the luxury market will be in China, and there are really only a few players with Chinese authenticity. We want to create the “Chinese style” of the 21st century.