He was called the "best-connected man in Britain," but David Tang wasn't British. Not really. He was a Hong Konger who spoke with an arch, almost caricatured English accent and wore silk pajamas to parties where everyone else was in black tie.
You’ve probably seen the neon signs or the vibrant, lime-green silk linings of a Shanghai Tang jacket. That was him. 1994. A time when "Made in China" meant cheap plastic toys, David Tang decided to sell $1,000 qipaos to the global elite.
It was a gamble. Honestly, it was a bit of a miracle it worked at all.
The Man Who Sold a Dream (and a Lot of Silk)
Sir David Tang wasn't just a businessman. He was a "connector." If you were a celebrity in the 90s—think Kate Moss, Princess Diana, or even Fidel Castro—you eventually ended up at his table.
He founded the China Club in 1991, tucked away on the top floors of the old Bank of China building in Hong Kong. It was moody. It was filled with 1930s Art Deco furniture and contemporary Chinese art that, at the time, no one else was buying. He basically created a vibe before "vibe" was a marketing term.
Then came Shanghai Tang.
He didn't just want a clothing store. He wanted a lifestyle. He took the traditional cheongsam and the Tang jacket, drenched them in colors that shouldn't work together—bright fuchsias, acid oranges, royal purples—and told the West it was the height of chic.
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Why people actually bought it
For a long time, Western luxury was a one-way street. Paris and Milan dictated everything. Tang flipped the script. He marketed "Chinese Chic" as something exotic yet accessible.
- The Pedder Building Flagship: Opening in 1994, it wasn't a shop; it was an emporium. You could get bespoke tailoring while sniffing ginger-flower candles.
- The Celebrity Factor: When Gong Li showed up at the 1997 Hong Kong handover wearing Shanghai Tang, the world took notice.
- The Anti-Status Symbol: In a sea of Armani and Chanel, wearing a Mandarin collar was a way for the wealthy to say they were "cultured" and "traveled."
The New York Disaster
Success in Hong Kong is one thing. Success on Madison Avenue is a whole different beast.
In 1997, Tang opened a massive, 12,000-square-foot flagship in New York. The rent was a staggering $2.7 million a year. It was a bloodbath.
People in New York didn't get it. They saw the lime-green Nehru jackets and thought they looked like "high-end wallpaper." Within 19 months, the store closed. It was a classic case of over-expansion and a misunderstanding of the American consumer.
Americans liked the idea of Shanghai Tang as a gift—a silk scarf or a silver-plated picture frame—but they weren't ready to wear a full silk suit to a board meeting.
The Richemont Era and the Identity Crisis
By 1998, the Swiss luxury giant Richemont (the same people who own Cartier and Dunhill) started buying in. By 2008, they owned the whole thing.
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This is where things got complicated.
Richemont tried to "Europeanize" the brand. They brought in designers from Gucci and Celine. They tried to make the clothes more "wearable" and less "costume-y."
But there’s a problem when you take the soul out of a brand to make it more commercial. If you make a Shanghai Tang jacket look too much like a Prada jacket, why wouldn't people just buy Prada?
The ownership carousel:
- David Tang (1994–1998): The wild, flamboyant years.
- Richemont (1998–2017): The corporate expansion and eventual struggle.
- Alessandro Bastagli (2017–2018): An Italian entrepreneur bought it, but it didn't last.
- Lunar Capital (2018–Present): A Chinese private equity firm finally brought the brand "home."
What David Tang Got Right (and Wrong)
David Tang was a genius at PR. He knew that luxury is 10% product and 90% who is seen holding it.
However, the brand often struggled with its own people. For years, wealthy mainland Chinese consumers avoided Shanghai Tang. Why? Because to them, the brand looked like a Westerner’s caricature of China. It felt like "old China" at a time when they wanted to look like "new money" in Louis Vuitton.
It’s only recently, with the rise of Guochao (the "national tide" trend where young Chinese consumers embrace domestic brands), that the brand’s heritage has started to feel cool again.
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Shanghai Tang in 2026: Where is it now?
Today, the brand is celebrating its 30th anniversary. It’s leaner. It’s more digital.
They’ve moved away from just being the "qipao store." Now, you’ll see denim with subtle silk embroidery, cashmere hoodies with Mandarin collars, and a heavy focus on home decor. Their "Ginger Flower" scent is still a cult favorite, often found in high-end hotels across Asia.
Sadly, Sir David Tang passed away in 2017. He didn't live to see the brand's 30th birthday, but his fingerprints are everywhere. He proved that a Chinese brand could stand on the same shelf as the big European houses, even if the road was incredibly rocky.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Collector
If you're looking to dive into the world of David Tang Shanghai Tang, don't just buy the first thing you see.
- Look for "Old Label" Pieces: The vintage pieces from the mid-90s (the David Tang era) are becoming highly collectible. Look for the "Made by Chinese" labels.
- Focus on the Home Line: If the clothing feels too bold, their lacquer boxes and silk cushions are arguably the best in the luxury market. They hold their value and look timeless.
- The Bespoke Service: If you're in Hong Kong, the Imperial Tailoring service is still one of the few places in the world where you can get a true, traditional cheongsam made with modern luxury standards.
- Watch the Resale Market: Sites like The RealReal or Vestiaire Collective often have Shanghai Tang pieces at a fraction of the retail price. Since the brand is niche, you can often find incredible silk coats for a steal.
The brand survived because it was first. It wasn't always profitable, and it wasn't always "in fashion," but it was the first to tell the world that China has its own definition of luxury. David Tang didn't just sell clothes; he sold the idea that tradition could be loud, colorful, and a little bit rebellious.