Backed by Hermes, Chinese lifestyle, home and fashion brand Shang Xia plans to open standalone boutiques at Hong Kong, Beijing and Heathrow international airports over the next five years.

Shang Xia’s VP of travel retail for Asia Pacific, Tina Priscilla Tam, says she believes travel retail is the ideal channel to communicate the brand’s message to travellers who “value and appreciate the beauty of the culture”, reports TRBusiness.

“Shang Xia strives to preserve China’s fading traditions of craftsmanship and re-evaluates the tradition in the context of contemporary lifestyles,” says Tam.

“China’s great heritage of technical ingenuity shimmers with potential. Wooden furniture, bamboo woven on porcelain, cashmere felt, eggshell porcelain … these remarkable materials are transformed by the CEO and creative designer Qionger Jiang. Her inspiration embodies both beauty and utility.”

Tam says the translation of Shang Xia, “as above, so below”, is simple but profound. “It speaks of heritage and construction, of intangible bridges that link tradition and the present, east and west, art and lifestyle, human and nature.”

She says travel retail is a window to the world, considered by some brands as “a sixth continent”, and Hong Kong International Airport is perfect for a standalone boutique because it offers exposure to international tourists.

“It is a place where ‘east meets west’, reflecting the cultural mix of the territory’s Chinese roots with an influence of foreign cultures. It is a good standpoint for the brand to transmit the message of beautiful Chinese heritage and tradition to the world.”

The brand already has boutiques in Paris, Beijing and Shanghai. Through a partnership with the Shankong Group in Taiwan it opened two shop-in-shop concept stores in August, with the next step being Hong Kong in January.

“We focus not only on destinations for Chinese travellers. We review destinations and partners who understand the brand and share the same core values.”

A Shang Xia standalone store will open at Beijing Airport’s Terminal 2 next year, building on its success at Shanghai’s Hongqiao Airport. It will carry ready to wear, costume jewellery, teaware and homewares.