If you're new to Shanghai and juggling kids, here's the first rule of survival: get yourself plugged into the parent community, fast. Because this is Shanghai, and the parents here don't just swap daycare tips over coffee – they're booking out entire rooftops at five-star hotels. Case in point: last Friday, the Shanghai Mamas took over the top floor of the Bvlgari Hotel, bungalows and all, with more than a hundred sign-ups. Yes, La Terrazza, Bvlgari Hotel's top-floor slice of sky-high fabulousness.
Shanghai is such a city that, as a parent, it's just part of the normal lifestyle here to get dressed in cocktail chic somewhere gorgeous with the city skyline as the backdrop. A night of clinking glasses, getting toasty, is a reminder to everyone why being a parent in Shanghai is a different kind of luxury. Yes, it is still very much a destination city, with a lot of hotties. Now I didn't meet everyone there, but folks were representing:
- Australia
- Canada
- China
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Mexico
- The Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Peru
- Spain
- Switzerland
- USA
Now, I'm not a fashionista like Tima Fei who does our Street Chic. But I do have good taste, and some design standouts got shoutouts.
Scroll down for our See & Be Seen gallery – and if you're not linked up with Shanghai Mamas yet, hit their WeChat (ShanghaiMamasOrg) to join the next one.
Starting off a little spicy...
Caption: I love this sculpted ivory two-piece that's equal parts cozy and chic. The textured fabric, the rounded puff sleeve, and that just-right volume all say modern minimalism. Gold accents from hoop to wrist bring polish, while the vibe is pure glow.
Caption: This is Hamptons meets metropolis, subtle sophistication. Love the light-breezy cream color palette with a fitting silhouette accented by the geometric cutouts. This fit is giving upscale coastal style with an urban cocktail party twist. Very cool.
Caption: Baby, give me some sugar.
Caption: Evelyn is channeling champagne minimalism, dressed in the type of pastel satin that reflects the city lights. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's neutrals, Dior Cruise, and a Bvlgari rooftop after 9pm.
Caption: To the gentle lady in the middle. Bold and beaming, she's serving zebra-chic. The monochrome print brings runway drama, while the keyhole cutout and twist detail add just the right dose of millennial sensuality. This look says "metropolitan muse." It pops!
Caption: Another standout. This is Sculptural Noir Meets Cocktail Couture. This fit has so many subtle design features that the longer you look, the more you notice. Zoom out, an all-black ensemble, that shows off circular architecture, from the smaller center-line, to the oversized polka dots along the waist sash. Then there's the asymmetrical shoulder detail, part origami, part amour, which adds major drama, accented by her long flowing hair, which softens the look. This was all intent. Super nice.
Caption: Pam said pregnancy, but ...make it powerful. Our jaws dropped when we saw her midnight-hued cutout gown that boldly frames her little miracle. She and her little one own La Terrazza. The deep plunge, center twist, and that unapologetic bump reveal? This is divine Shanghai Mama's energy in a bodycon silhouette. She understood the assignment. Bump & Bravado!
Caption: Wow. Look at this. A plunging V halter lace bodice paired with a jet black skirt, purple metallic nails, and an unapologetic Apple Watch flex. This is techno-boudoir urban seduction. Shanghai Mama's making fashion statements, eh.
Caption: Love this bohemian-inspired flowy dress with watercolor-style florals in warm sunset tones. With that smile, she's radiating charm. Everyone's favorite art teacher in her Bvlgari Era, or rooftop goddess in watercolor bloom. We couldn't decide.
Caption: This was the mood... and also part of the headpic above, did you notice?
Caption: Mediterranean goddess with a Shanghai skyline glow-up. Through the corner of our eyes, we could always see this electric cobalt blue dress weaving in and out of this mom and pop crowd. Up close, the dress hugs like a sea breeze, plunges like the Amalfi coast, and cinches with just the right amount of flirt. Gold statement earrings and a sparkle-studded bag complete the look. Radiant, regal, fabulous.
We've somehow curated a full-blown rooftop runway up here – Shanghai's most photogenic mamas and papas outshining the skyline. If you spotted yourself mid-sip or mid-smirk, drop a comment below. Tell us how the night went. Or at the very least, toss a compliment to our prodigous photographers – they crouched, they squatted, they art-directed your glow-up!