Chongqing– In this latest installment displaying Chongqing's credentials as an international consumption center city, overseas reporter James Alexander visits two independently run stores catering to personalized tastes in the form of tailored clothing and retro-style fashion and accessories that appeal to consumers across multiple generations.
Since the State Council approved Chongqing and other four cities to take the lead in building international consumption center cities in July 2021, it has enhanced the drive to attract world-famous brands, institutions, and events to the city while also publicizing its strong advantages in shopping, cuisine, nightlife, culture, and travel.
The independent store Chunyi Qimei produces traditional custom-made cheongsam from the initial design stage to the final product based in the Guanyinqiao area of Jiangbei District. In this fascinating experience, the store founder Mrs. Yang Hongmei demonstrates twenty separate measurements needed for tailoring a single cheongsam dress, shows examples of many decorative features and craftsmanship, and how they incorporate both tradition and innovation as they appeal to all generations of women.
At the same time, Chongqing is home to many cultural innovation parks where young entrepreneurs can make their creative business ideas a reality, such as one named "Zhongshan" in downtown Chongqing. Here, there is a unique store called "Half Pasture Vintage Clothing and Dry Goods" run by Peng Youhao, who sells a wide range of unique retro goods, including vinyl records, which have lately gained popularity again, as well as vintage accessories and garments styled in the past century and the old wild west.
While Chongqing has introduced hundreds of famous world brands in constructing an international consumption center city, there remains plenty of room for independent-run establishments that brim with creativity and display the glory of Chinese culture to the world. In this installment, see how Chongqing caters to consumers' personalized needs and niche tastes for vintage products.