One of Shanghai's best-known districts, stunningly anchored by the Jing'an Temple, has just become even more luxurious with the opening of Casa Loewe, its golden facade striking at the very heart of this bustling retail area.

Chinese netizens call it “the golden box.” This new Casa store, for the Spanish luxury brand owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, marks its first location in the city and Asia’s largest flagship store.

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A two-level store of 650 square meters has an exterior made up of 35,536 handcrafted Spanish tiles that create a shimmering, dynamic effect—the combination which took the brand three months to achieve. As one moves along the path marked by metallic tiles, one begins to encounter a series of tiled walls comprised of white, brown, gold, and orange plus green hues, alongside elements of concrete, glass, marble, brass, and oak.

The shop front of Shanghai Kerry Centre, once a Burberry flagship until 2021, transformed into a retail pop-up space and an unexpectedly effective billboard location until Loewe moved from a smaller unit on the same level.

The concept store, dreamt up by Jonathan Anderson, Loewe's creative head, shows off a lively range of decorative items, from old Spanish pottery to new designs, marking the latest part in Loewe's story of an art collector's home.

The store offers a wide collection of styles in fashion, art, crafts, and design which includes colorful tangerine Berin Club chairs stunning azure Utrecht and Steltman chairs designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Oliver Gustav sofas a floating stone coffee table designed by Axel Vervoordt Isamu Noguchi lamps and George Nakashima Conoid Cushion chairs and bar stools.

The rest of the shop shows Loewe's tuffed puffer benches, hung terrazzo tables and black iron martini tables, which add a sensorial part to the place. Large and soft carpets made in Spain by British textile artist John Allen; they evoke the English countryside and bring a warm feeling into this big space for selling things.

The pieces that inspired Anderson's designs—Ken Price, Mahesh Baliga, Merlin James, Paul Thek, Uri Aran, Christodoulos Panayiotou, Jordan Belson, and Edwin T Hall—bring the shopping experience closer to that of an art gallery.

The collection includes works by British ceramicists John Ward and Mo Jupp, organic sculptures by Chinese artist Dong Han—who is a finalist for the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize 2023—and leather baskets by Japanese bamboo weaver Hafu Matsumoto and oak vessels made from a 300-year-old tree by German woodworker Ernst Gamperl.

For those who enjoy Loewe's assortment of crafted goods, two new pieces will soon be arriving in-store; a stoneware sculpture by Japanese ceramic artist Takayuki Sakiyama and Special Mention recipient of the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize 2021, plus a collection of spheres made from horsehair and stainless steel by Dahye Jong, recipient of the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize 2022.

It offers the full range of Loewe's men's and women's ready-to-wear clothing, as well as leather goods, accessories, and home items.
Loewe has matched its heightened vigilance in the market with Gucci's recent pullback from retail. The latter brand closed two stores on Nanjing Road - Shanghai's prime shopping street - just this past Monday. It now has six stores in Shanghai and one airport outlet plus an added tough-to-define closure in the context of fashion.

During the Tuesday opening of Casa Loewe, fans gathered at the store to try and catch a glimpse of Yang Mi, global brand ambassador for Loewe. Among those inside were "friends of the brand" Chinese actors Jiang Qiming, Ma Boquan, Hu Yitian, and Chen Duling; Taiwanese actor Edward Chen; Chinese comedian Tang Xiangyu; and Lu Yanting, a voice actor known for his work in the hit animated series "Ne Zha."

For a dozen VIC customers, this event offered personal photo opportunities with the stars — some of which took place in the VIP room located on the second floor, accessible via an in-store elevator.
The celebration was followed by an after-party on Tuesday evening at Suhe Haus, a converted warehouse now serving as an art venue along the historic Suzhou Creek.