The Shanghai Fashion Files are semi-regular articles that explore the ins and outs of Shanghai's burgeoning ascendancy as a global fashion and design capital. Move over Milan, Paris, the Pearl of the East has something to strut, and we're here for it.

If you're an active XHS user, you may have noticed all the hottest influencers taking photos at a new trending spot called HAI550. Located right in front of the popular TX Mall, near the Xintiandi area, HAI550 is a large, seven-story fashion collective. But it's not just another shopping center – HAI550 primarily features young fashion and lifestyle brands by Chinese designers. Some of these brands are making waves locally across China, while others have already gained global recognition over the past few years. The overarching theme of each brand is environmentally conscious production and design.

As you enter the building, the first floor welcomes you with a Block Beauty Corner, where the popular skincare and body care brand Aesop is featured. If you're a fan, or simply curious to try out some of their products, like hand wash and body wash, you'll find sinks and towels available for sampling. A friendly consultant is also on hand to answer any of your questions.

Right past it is a SAANCI café, where you can get beautifully crafted coffee and matcha drinks to cool you right off. Before you indulge in your shopping spree, there is an exhibition hall, usually featuring environmentally conscious, global warming awareness events. Their first feature was with the prominent brand PATAGONIA, a classic. However, the exhibits change quite often, so you can go see what their hottest feature is yourself.

From the second to about the fifth floor, you'll find yourself surrounded by many kinds of different shops, from clothing to 3D-printed household items. With the overarching theme, again, being sustainability. In our little journey through each floor, we found a couple of standout fashion and lifestyle ventures, that grabbed our attention. Brands that are Innovative and creative but don't cost an arm and a leg; here are four brands that made a lasting impression on us, but are forging paths in the fashion world.

Refuse Club:

Back in 2019, two Chinese-born Parsons graduates were inspired by a prominent 19th-century Parisian exhibition, the "Salon des Refusés," infamous for being provocative for its time. Yuner Shao and Puzhen Zhou founded "Refuse Club" in New York, with the goal of combining their beautiful cultural heritage with important social commentaries and beliefs.

Although the brand has its roots in New York, its objective was to bring it to the mainland. Their debut on the Chinese fashion scene took place during one of the fashion weeks. Yuner Shao and Puzhen Zhou, both born in Chongqing, have the brand's main operations there but are also expanding to major cities like Shanghai and Beijing.

Their approach to clothing combines traditional Chinese philosophies with a more progressive mindset on feminism through fashion. "Refuse Club" is now a global brand, recognized by Vogue and loved by many Chinese and Western customers. Their main Shanghai pop-up store is in HAI550, where I had the pleasure of checking out their clothes myself. While women's wear is the primary focus of their current collection, who separates clothing by gender nowadays? Not me, at least. So, I definitely recommend visiting their corner.

Mad Nomad

Created by a nomadic designer and Yale graduate, Ms Cindy Wang, the brand took root in Stockholm, Sweden. "Stand up for Earth" – this slogan encapsulates Mad Nomad's core values. The brand represents the embrace of nature and care for the environment. They design sustainable, stylish, yet timeless casual sportswear, with their main product being shoes.

"A whole lifestyle brand in the future, but sneakers are the easiest for new customers to understand," says Cindy. "Walking responsibly" is the main idea behind Mad Nomad's shoes. "We only make one new design every six months – not only is it more sustainable, but it also promotes the rejection of overconsumption; the elevated basics, that is the goal," Cindy proudly states.

Everything you see from Mad Nomad is recyclable, from the vegan leather to the packaging. The brand also features phone cases made from special cork and stylish shopper bags. "From shoes to furniture, that's the plan," says Cindy. The focus is not only on materials and sustainability but also on supporting local communities. Being nomadic herself, Cindy ensures the use of traditional crafts from nomadic groups in China. Already selling globally, Mad Nomad aims to target young Chinese people who are learning about the impacts of the clothing industry and want to support a greener, more responsible brand. If you share these values and ideas, I recommend visiting HAI550 to check them out.

Paddy Post

Created in 2022 by a perfectly creative couple – a movie director and a fashion designer – Yahan Zhang handles the business side of Paddy Post, while Tong Zhang takes charge of the design. It's a smart move for young brands to delegate tasks to those who excel at them, while still keeping the creative spirit alive. The whole concept behind Paddy Post is "People in Paddy Post," as Yahan Zhang explains, meaning that the clothes are designed to adapt to the individual wearing them. No matter how you style your Paddy Post garment, it's there to help express your creativity and individuality. This idea fits perfectly with their inspiration – quite literally, an artist. Some of the most interesting features and forms in Paddy Post are drawn from a painter's robe and tools. From brush pockets to the materials used, the designs give you the feeling that you're ready to put on an apron and create an oil painting masterpiece.

Woven throughout Paddy Post's designs, you'll notice a red thread. Not only does it serve as a distinctive design element, but it also represents the flow of creativity that an artist experiences before creating something extraordinary. Speaking of artists, Paddy Post makes it a mission to support local talent in the creative sphere. So far, they have collaborated with Chinese painter Dandi Gu to feature their designs not just on the garments but also in the pop-up store at HAI550, which is currently their main location. They also prioritize sustainability by recycling as much unused fabric as possible. All leftover textiles are reused for future garments, art, furniture, or community projects. If you visit the HAI550 pop-up store, you'll find their groovy collection of clothes, pillows, bags, and more – and you might even get to say hi to the creators themselves, as they often manage the store in person.

Uppervoid

Vis Bi, born in Canada, came to China to launch a premium outdoor brand focused on embracing human interactions with nature. "In Nature We Trust" is the brand's core philosophy.

Uppervoid's launched in 2020 with a mission to develop and produce high-performance outdoor garments that are not only environmentally conscious but also fun, stylish, and fairly priced. Now based in Shanghai, with their main pop-up store at HAI550, Uppervoid has grown into a global brand over the past few years. In 2021, they achieved 1 million yuan in monthly sales, collaborated with renowned brands like Lamborghini, and even developed the world's first 100 percent cotton insect-repellent fabric. And they're just getting started.

When I visited their store, I was struck by their unique aesthetic, which isn't common for outdoor brands. Many of their sport-focused garments are made from pertex fabric, one of the lightest fabrics in the world. Touching one of their jackets felt almost like handling feathers.

"In Nature We Trust" is more than just a slogan – Uppervoid takes recycling and the use of environmentally friendly materials very seriously. For instance, the soles of their shoes are made from a biodegradable mix of coffee grounds and sugarcane. "We've also eliminated the most environmentally harmful stage in the production process – dyeing. The Undyed Collection showcases the natural colors of yarns and fibers," as the friendly sales associate at the store explained.

If you want to learn more, you can visit their website, or better yet, stop by the pop-up store at HAI550. There, English-speaking staff will be happy to answer your questions and guide you through the collection, so you can see and feel the products for yourself.