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Cachet Boutique Shanghai: a swank, stylish design hotel in China.

cachet boutique hotel shanghai

China’s come a long way since the days of Chairman Mao. Today, Shanghai’s swank, and I was keen to see the changing city for myself.

Cachet Boutique Hotel invited my team and me to experienced the modern side of Shanghai. Let’s hop through the mirror, and find out what’s happening on the mainland!

luxury design hotels china

You know I love art hotels, so I was excited to team up with Cachet, a group known for its fashionable accommodations. A driver picked up my filmmakers and me from Pudong Airport, and the manager welcomed us at the door with a big bouquet of flowers. And he said those magic words: “We’ve put you in the biggest penthouse, with a full kitchen and bar.”

cachet hotel group

I couldn’t believe it: the lavish suite was 160 meters square. Enough room for a whole crew of pirates, and then some.

urbn shanghai hotels, cachet

But I was even more impressed by the way Cachet researched my interests, and left little surprises in my room to make me feel at home. I’m a fan of Miffy the bunny, so guess who was sitting in the throne chair. The stationery box even had Miffy pens, and a gift bag contained a Gothic mask and sunglasses.

shanghai art hotel

It’s the small things that show they really care for their guests. From left to right: fresh fruit and champagne, a studded leather teddy bear, and a DJ booth with an electronic music playlist.

house of harlow big sunglasses

The balcony gave me a view of the stylish street below. Cachet Boutique Hotel’s address is 931 West Nanjing Road — right by the Bund, French Quarter and lots of designer stores.

cameo crop top, shakuhachi skirt

I thought this outfit from West LA Boutique matched the mood of the space rather well. Their online shop (with a physical location in Dubai) keeps wowing me with their ever-changing selection of chic clothing and accessories.

I’m wearing House of Harlow 1960 Nicole style sunglasses, a black Cameo crop top, and a uniquely cut Shakuhachi skirt with sheer panels.

steelground shoes goth footwear

Matching the carpet are my Steelground Shoes. They’re masters of alternative footwear, and unlike some other alternative brands, these ones will last. You can see the detailing in the fabric and soles of these platforms.

shanghai penthouse suite

Cachet hotel had so much character. Originally, this was a building from 1920s Shanghai.

hotel balcony west nanjing road

I couldn’t believe this is China — it felt like Ginza in Tokyo. So clean and cosmopolitan. Right by the hotel, there were some of my favorite fashion stores including Izzue and Miffy (I’ll show you photos soon).

most expensive hotels shanghai

I’m a bit picky about interior design, and didn’t know what to expect from accommodations described as “classical Asian meets modern glam.” But as you can see, Cachet pulled it off.

design hotel shanghai china

The custom rugs and dark wood floors made the suite feel cozy.

interior design china

Above all: the art was awesomeAsian meets avantgarde, such as this tall frame by the door. (Longans are a local tropical fruit similar to the lychee.)

penthouse bedroom boutique hotel

Doesn’t this look like my own bedroom? That’s what makes a stay with Cachet such a joy. They personalize everything, even the art above the bed.

chinese anime girl, living doll

This almost could be a portrait of me. I tried to imitate the pose of the Gothic ball-jointed doll. 

gold bathroom, big bathtub

My filmmakers and I couldn’t get over this golden bathroom. “You could fit eight people in that tub!”

luxury shower hotel

Same goes for the King Midas shower.

modern art gallery shanghai

The entire hotel is art-focused. Cachet’s ground floor has an in-house gallery, hung with contemporary Chinese works.

上海 cool hotels

Most of these artists are young and use new mediums, like this visual installation by the doors.

ball jointed doll painting

However, my favorite painting remains the one above my bed. Here’s a closer look. The Goth Alice in Wonderland motifs are exactly my cup of tea.

leather teddy bear

And I love this leather bear on a hook: fetish meets cute. The manager told me his name is Tristan.

chinese street style, fashion blogger

We felt so inspired by the interior decor. Photography by Melissa Rundle, taken with a Sony A7 mirrorless camera.

west la boutique top, black skirt

I had fun matching my West L.A. Boutique outfit to the art.

shanghai modern apartment suite

Thanks to the staff for taking such great care of us, from bringing up sandwiches to drawing us maps to art districts.

entrance exterior cachet hotel

Cachet Group also has an eco-friendly URBN hotel in Shanghai, and is opening more locations soon. Can’t wait to experience their new property in Bangkok, Thailand. 

china dj turntables

DJ bunny party! You can find out more and make a reservation on Cachet Boutique Shanghai‘s website (they have 48 rooms, including 2 top-floor penthouses.)

rayli magazine, ray li china

Speaking of China… You may have noticed I’ve been doing more in this market recently. “Xie xie” to Ray Li magazine (the leading Chinese fashion publication) for interviewing me about beauty in the October 2014 issue.

flat nosed cat

Do you spy a smooshy-faced cat in the top left corner of the RayLi article? That’s my Scottish Fold — or as they say in Chinese, “jip yee mao”! More cute Basil Farrow photos on his cat blog.

china fashion travel magazine

Finally, a shout-out to Hong Kong Express Airways magazine, who just celebrated their first anniversary. I’ve been writing a travel column for them since they launched, and will keep doing so. Above is a scan from the last issue, featuring me and my Taipei-based friend Boris Tsai (蔡伯璽).

Have you been to Shanghai, or anywhere in China? What was your experience like? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments. Will share more from the city soon.

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Heavy Pop, Harajuku fashion club night! Tokyo Japan Halloween Goth parties.

types of harajuku fashion, style

Halloween 2014 is creeping closer… do you have your costume ready yet? How will you be celebrating?

If you’re in Tokyo, Japan for Halloween, there are a number of dark and alternative events this year. These include Midnight Mess’s 12th anniversary Goth dance party on Oct 25, and Tokyo Dark Castle Zombie Halloween on the same day. In OsakaFarplane Night is having a cabaret festival on Nov 1st.

But for Japanese spooky kids, Halloween is every day of the year! So every month, they congregate at Heavy Pop (へびぽ), a club night that celebrates cyber, Goth, Lolita, drag and other alt fashion tribes. As you can see from the group photo, it’s one colorful party.

tokyo club fashion, makeup

Heavy Pop changes its location and exact date each time, so check their Facebook for the next event (I’m not sure yet if they’re having a Halloween extravaganza). I went to the anniversary celebration at Hell’s Bar in Sangenjaya. The tiny space was packed, hence the face-fanning.

cute japanese costume girls, cosplayers

“Hebipo” generally takes place on the last Sunday of the month, around 3pm to 11pm (so that partygoers can take the last train home, as it stops running around midnight). Come here if you want to dance to Jpop while surrounded by youths, dressed in experimental-kawaii fashion.

japanese maid idols dancing, jpop singing

Each event features a roster of DJs and performers. I watched these two cute Japanese girls dressed as French maids, singing and dancing a frenetic “para-para” on stage.

へびぽ hebipo

One of the regular artists is… Yukiro, in his evil guise as drag queen Die Schwarze Frau! That’s reason enough to check out the club night, don’t you think?

crazy monster costumes japan

Most of the guests dressed in some sort of alternative street style like kawaii, fairy kei, or Gothic. I saw some wild makeup and hair in the crowd. This lizard-monster, made of full body rubber, gets my medal for “craziest costume.”

heavy pop, hell's bar

As you can see, there isn’t much room to make giant hand motions. Wear layers so that you can take something off if the room gets too hot. (Even the reptile took off his head at one point.)

harajuku club, nightlife

Everyone’s welcome at Heavy Pop, but I suggest you join the Jpop spirit of the party, and dress up. Wigs, crowns and hats add a fun touch.

japan photographer dj ray ochiai

Don’t forget to take a picture at the photobooth, and say hi to Die Schwarze Frau (she won’t bite) and organizer / DJ Ray Ochiai. He started this party a few years ago, and it’s built up quite the following.

cute japanese girl singing

You can’t help but smile at the theatrical performances on stage. The event alternates between DJ sets and performers.

independent stores tokyo fashion

The side of the room has a line-up of vendor booths, run by independent designers. Shop here for neon face masks and other oddities.

japanese living dolls

Light colors, lace and living-dolls abound.

funny famous japanese dj

Can you feel the energy of the music? All these images are by Said Karlsson — give him a shout if you need a photographer in Tokyo.

goth dancing

The drag theatrics of Die Schwarze Frau always get attention. Stand too close to the front, and you might get whipped by her flailing skirts.

harajuku eye makeup, horns hairstyle

Love the hair-horns, pink eyebrows and layers of eyelashes on this girl.

tokyo drag queen dancer

The queen in motion. DSF performs drag at other events in Tokyo, which you can see on her Facebook.

nanette lepore striped dress

I’m wearing a feathered crown from my friend King Vulcanus Levi (remember when we teamed up in NYC?) and a Nanette Lepore striped dress (here’s where you can purchase it.)

cross dress performer japan

Don’t you want to be at this fabulous club night too? Keep track of the next Heavy Pop party on their Facebook page. Entry fee varies; it’s generally 1500 yen and a drink if you RSVP on Facebook.

cute blonde asian girl

How do you like the Harajuku fashion and makeup featured in this post? Do you have Halloween plans yet?

If you’re in Tokyo in late October, be sure to check out the Gothic nightclubs and bars, listed here and at the top of this post.

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