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<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThe Bund in Shanghai: The Open Air Museum of World Architecture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Before I start with today’s fashion story, let me introduce you to the place where the photos for this post were taken. The Bund, known in Chinese as Waitan, is a mile-and-a-half long promenade that runs along the west bank of the Huangpu River in central Shanghai. This area is a protected historical district that bears witness to the transformation of Shanghai from a small fishing village to one of the most dynamic metropolises in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The history of the Bund begins in the 1840s, when Shanghai opened up to foreign trade. Over the following decades, the area became a global financial center, symbolized by fifty-two historic buildings of various architectural styles. On the Bund, you can see Gothic, Baroque, Neoclassical, Romanesque and Art Deco facades that testify to the influence of European cultures on this part of the world. It is no coincidence that the Bund is often called an open-air museum of international architecture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the 1960s to the 1930s, the Bund was the center of power and wealth of foreign companies in Shanghai, functioning as a legally protected port. Today, when you look across the river towards Pudong with its modern skyscrapers including the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Shanghai Tower, you get a unique contrast between old and new China. It is this combination of tradition and modernity that made the Bund the ideal backdrop for a fashion story about brands that themselves unite heritage and innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAida Barni: Four decades of dedication to the most noble natural fiber<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The heart of today’s outfit is a beautiful green turtleneck made of pure cashmere by the Aida Barni<\/a><\/strong> brand. For those new to this name, let me introduce you to a brand that is synonymous with perfection in the world of luxury knitwear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story of the Aida Barni<\/a><\/strong> brand begins in 1978, when Mrs. Aida Barni decided to enter the business world at the top of one of the most demanding market sectors. The company is named Annapurna, after one of the eight thousand (mountain peak higher than 8,000 meters above sea level) in the Himalayas, where goats in extreme climatic conditions develop a thick, protective fleece that hides an extremely soft and precious fiber – cashmere. The name Annapurna symbolizes the high aspirations the founder had for her fashion and the materials she uses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mrs. Aida Barni, president and artistic director of the company since its inception, was one of the first people to contribute to the expansion of Italian cashmere knitwear worldwide. Her innovative designs and unique use of colors, textures and styles have challenged established norms and set new standards in the knitwear industry. Thanks to her efforts, cashmere with the Made in Italy label reached the very top of the fashion world.<\/p>\n\n\n Annapurna’s success and its rise to the top can be attributed to the passion, dedication and vision of its founders. The support of her husband, Pier Luigi Galli, one of the world’s leading yarn and cashmere experts, helped her find her way to the top of this very demanding market. Galli even published a book called Cashmere in Italian, English, Japanese and German with numerous illustrations promoting cashmere as one of the most precious natural fibers in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, the Annapurna group operates on the market with two fashion brands: Annapurna<\/a><\/strong> and Aida Barni<\/a><\/strong> and is one of the leading Italian and world producers of high-quality cashmere knitwear. The company uses all the latest production techniques available on the market, from cotton looms to state-of-the-art knitting machines of all sizes. Handmade crocheted and knitted pieces complete the offer for special and precious clothing items.<\/p>\n\n\n The production capacity of the company is about one hundred and twenty thousand pieces per year, which you have to admit is impressive. The entire production cycle takes place in Italy, more precisely at the company’s headquarters in the Italian city of Prato. The Aida Barni brand has been using exclusively double yarn since 1978, which guarantees exceptional softness, warmth and durability of each piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The yellow mustard turtleneck that I am wearing in today’s story is a perfect example of the concept of sporty elegance of the Aida Barni<\/a><\/strong> brand, a simple but sophisticated style, rich in materials and inconspicuous details that make this brand iconic because it is an expression of uniqueness and special class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can buy Aida Barni cashmere items in well-stocked stores throughout Europe and the world and through authorized online stores. When you give someone a piece of the Aida Barney brand, you are giving more than respect and love, you are giving a piece that is woven with a love of tradition and a deep respect for an art that is not celebrated every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The trousers that completed my outfit are signed by one of the most respected fashion houses in the world: Loro Piana<\/a><\/strong>. The Novalis<\/a><\/strong> Trousers model is made of Jersey Novalis, the iconic light but warm, naturally elastic knit material that is characteristic of this brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Loro Piana<\/a><\/strong> story begins at the beginning of the nineteenth century, when the Loro Piana family was involved in the wool trade in the Triuggio region of northern Italy. That heritage of textile expertise laid the foundation for what would become a global symbol of luxury. In the second half of that century, the family moved its activity to the Valsesia valley and founded the Fratelli Lora e Compagnia wool spinning mill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The official history of the company begins in 1924, when the engineer Pietro Loro Piano founded the company in the city of Cuarona in the province of Vercelli. This area of \u200b\u200bItaly was known for its textile traditions, and the location of the factory in the heart of the region was a strategic choice. Initially, the company specialized in the production of the highest quality wool fabrics for elite tailors throughout Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n Turtleneck:\u00a0<\/em>Aida Barni<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Watch:<\/em>\u00a0ROMAGO Swiss<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Trousers:<\/em>\u00a0Loro Piana<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sneakers:<\/em>\u00a0Carlos Santos<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n After taking over the leadership of the company in the 1960s, Franco Loro Piana, grandson of Pietro, began exporting high-quality fabrics to Europe, America and Japan. During the seventies, the company was run by Franco’s sons, Sergio and Pier Luigi. Their focus was on developing premium fabrics, including cashmere and extra fine wools. Research by Sergio and Pier Luigi led to the creation of the Tasmanian fabric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the 1980s, the Loro Piano brothers began to diversify their business, launching their first ready-to-wear collection and creating a luxury goods division. By the late 1990s, Loro Piana was selling elegantly tailored jackets, wool coats and finely woven cashmere sweaters in its stores in Milan and New York.<\/p>\n\n\n Today, Loro Piana<\/a><\/strong> is one of the largest suppliers of cashmere in the world. The company prides itself on sourcing the finest and rarest raw materials the world has to offer, including unique cashmere from northern China and Mongolia, vicu\u00f1a from South America, extra fine merino wool from Australia and New Zealand, and even lotus flower fibers from Myanmar. Since 2013, the company is majority owned by the LVMH group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Novalis trousers I’m wearing are made from double-layer cashmere jersey, with a carefully tailored straight fit and contrasting colors inside and out. This is a refined piece that embodies modern elegance. Designed to gently hug the body, these trousers showcase the luxurious comfort of cashmere at its best. A pre-shaped inner waistband, tailoring detailing to ensure a flawless look, diagonal front pockets and double-edged buttons on the back pockets, every detail speaks of a commitment to perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n On my wrist I wear the very special Romago Super Carbon X<\/a><\/strong> watch. The Romago Swiss brand was founded in Switzerland, and in the early years of the brand, each watch was handcrafted by experienced watchmakers. The brand debuted on the global watch market in 2006 and has since gained a reputation as a manufacturer of unique designs with exceptional character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What makes the Super Carbon X<\/a><\/strong> really special is its body made of carbon fibre composite using advanced technology. The exceptional material of the watch case is composed of hundreds of parallel threads obtained by splitting carbon fiber, which gives an outstanding appearance with exceptional lightness. The case with a diameter of forty-six and a half millimetres can be seen through a sapphire crystal, and the watch is water-resistant up to one hundred meters.<\/p>\n\n\n The watch is powered by the thirty-one-jewel Swiss automatic movement Caliber RM097, which oscillates at twenty-eight thousand and eight hundred vibrations per hour and has a power reserve of between forty-two and forty-four hours. One of the most striking features of this watch is the replacement of the small seconds with a wheel in the shape of a wheel, an unusual and functional design inspired by racing cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The open design creates a stunning layering across the entire dial, revealing the secret of the automatic movement. Engraved decorations and a toothed date ring are key elements that add a moving wheel touch. Romago<\/a><\/strong> created a special mold for this carbon case to perfectly fit the square shape of the watch. This model is limited to only three hundred examples, making it a real collector’s item.<\/p>\n\n\n The outfit was completed by leather sneakers model Brody<\/a><\/strong> of the Carlos Santos<\/a><\/strong> brand. For those who are not familiar with this brand, Carlos Santos is a Portuguese family company whose history dates back to 1942. It was founded in the city of S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o da Madeira in northern Portugal, in the heart of traditional Portuguese shoe production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o da Madeira is known as the shoe capital of Portugal. This title is not without reason as this city is home to numerous footwear manufacturers, the Footwear Technology Center and the Center for Vocational Education in the Footwear Industry. There is even a Shoe Museum that shows the memory of the shoe industry and the reality of shoe design in Portugal through the ages. Industrial tourism has become an important part of the city’s offer, where visitors can see how top quality shoes are made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mr. Carlos Santos started working in the footwear industry when he was only fourteen years old, in the family company Zarco that produced shoes. But it was not the office work that attracted him, but the shoe production process itself. Young Carlos would often escape to the manufacturing plant, where he would hang out with the artisans and watch the shoemaking process. He was passionate about shoes, hardworking and ambitious, seeing fashion as something essential and not superficial.<\/p>\n\n\n He quickly progressed from the office to sales and then from sales to management. Already in the seventies and eighties, he traveled the world in search of innovation, creativity and shoe production techniques. Mr. Santos attended fashion shows, bought shoes and instead of wearing them, he took them apart to understand their manufacturing process. He believed that Portuguese artisans could learn these techniques and produce shoes of the same quality as the world’s best brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He gradually began to buy Zarco shares until he acquired full ownership. Thus, the young man who started his journey in footwear at the age of fourteen became the sole owner of the factory. In 2010, he launched his own brand – Carlos Santos. Today, the company exports about ninety percent of its footwear outside of Portugal, to countries in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n Carlos Santos<\/a><\/strong> is one of the few Portuguese companies that still applies the Goodyear Welted manufacturing system, a manual technique in which machines play a secondary role. Each pair goes through a process that can require more than two hundred highly skilled manual operations. The leather comes mainly from the French tanneries De Puy and D’Annonay, and the hand-dyed models are made from raw crust leather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Brody<\/strong> 1300<\/strong><\/a> model I’m wearing is made from a combination of suede and nappa leather in a dark blue, taupe color. These leather sneakers perfectly illustrate how the line between everyday life and work has become blurred, elegant enough for a business meeting but comfortable enough for a casual stroll along the Bund. The price of two hundred and seventy nine euros makes them an affordable luxury investment that will last for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I stood on the banks of the Huangpu River, looking at the monumental Bund buildings with their European architecture on one side and the futuristic skyscrapers of Pudong on the other, I realized why this location was perfect for today’s fashion story. Just as Shanghai unites East and West, tradition and modernity, so my outfit combines the heritage of four different countries: Italy, Switzerland, Portugal and Hong Kong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The green color of Aida Barni<\/a><\/strong>‘s roller skates perfectly blended into the environment, that color that reminds of jade, a stone so valued in Chinese culture, created a harmonious bridge between my outfit and the location. The dark blue color of the Loro Piana<\/a><\/strong> trousers reflected the deep blue of the Huangpu River at dusk, while the carbon details of the Romago<\/a><\/strong> watch matched the industrial aesthetic of the steel structures of the Waibaidu Bridge located at the northern end of Banda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bund is a place where worlds have met throughout history: British, French, American, German and Japanese businessmen built their empires here, leaving behind an architectural legacy that still leaves one breathless today. In a similar way, my outfit is a meeting of worlds: Italian cashmere that comes from Mongolian goats, Portuguese shoes made from French leather, a Swiss watch movement in a case made of the most modern materials.<\/p>\n\n\n What connects all these brands is a common philosophy, which is quality above all else. In a world of fast fashion and one-off trends, these brands represent the opposite approach. When you buy an Aida Barney cashmere shawl, you’re buying a piece that will keep you warm for decades. When you invest in Loro Piana trousers, you invest in craftsmanship that is passed down through the generations. When you put Carlos Santos shoes on your feet, you wear the skill of artisans who dedicate hours to their craft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This approach to fashion is not just a matter of aesthetics, it is an ethical decision. Instead of buying ten cheap sweaters that will fall apart after a few washes, we can invest in one quality piece that will last for several seasons, years. Instead of following every passing trend, we can build a wardrobe of timeless classics that never go out of style. This is the philosophy I espouse on my blog and try to convey to my readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Made in Italy is not just a geographical indication, it is a promise of quality, dedication and passion invested in each product. Similarly, in the world of footwear, Made in Portugal is a guarantee of traditional craftsmanship. And when it comes to watches, Swiss Made remains the gold standard of precision and reliability. By combining these three heritages, we get an outfit that is not only visually appealing, but carries with it stories, traditions and values \u200b\u200bthat go beyond superficial aesthetics.<\/p>\n\n\n Many people think that cashmere is only reserved for special occasions. This is a big misconception. A quality cashmere like that used by Aida Barni is actually extremely durable and can be worn everyday. The key is proper maintenance, never wear the same piece of cashmere two days in a row, allow the fiber to regain its natural structure and texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The green turtleneck that I’m wearing in today’s outfit completes the outfit perfectly when combined with elegant trousers, but it looks just as good with jeans during a weekend walk. This is the beauty of true investment pieces, their versatility makes them worth every penny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When combining luxury pieces, it’s important to let each one stand out. In today’s outfit, the green roller is the star, it attracts attention with its rich color and softness. Trousers and sneakers are subtle players supporting the main actor, while the watch adds a sophisticated detail that only a true connoisseur can notice and appreciate.<\/p>\n\n\n As the sun descended over the Bund, casting golden light on fifty-two historic buildings and turning on the lights of Pudong’s skyscrapers across the river, I realized that fashion has the power to connect us to places, cultures and stories around the world. My daily outfit is more than just a piece of clothing, it is a journey through continents, through history and through the passion of the people who create these amazing pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mrs. Aida Barni in Prato, the Loro Piana family in Piedmont, the Romago team in Switzerland and Hong Kong and Mr. Carlos Santos in S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o da Madeira, they all share the same vision. A vision of a world where quality wins over quantity, where tradition and innovation coexist and where every product carries the soul of its creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My dear readers, I hope this Shanghai fashion story has inspired you. Whether you’re looking for the perfect cashmere turtleneck, trousers that will transform your wardrobe, a watch that speaks to your character, or sneakers that combine comfort and elegance, remember to invest in quality, tradition and story. Because at the end of the day, fashion isn’t just what we wear, it’s a story about ourselves that we want to tell the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How did you like my outfit today? I really tried to prepare this post with lots of love and I hope you like it! If you have any questions, comments, suggestions or messages for me, you can write me below in the comments. Of course, as always, you can contact me via e-mail or social networks, which you can find on the CONTACT<\/a><\/strong> page. See you soon in new fashion adventures on the Mr.M blog!<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Love from Shanghai,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mr.M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n This post is sponsored by Aida Barni<\/a>, Loro Piana<\/a>, ROMAGO Swiss<\/a>, Carlos Santos<\/a> brands. This post represents my personal and honest review of the destination, services and products provided.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nLoro Piana: One hundred years of perfection in fabrics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nOUTFIT<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nROMAGO Super Carbon X: Swiss precision in a carbon fibre case<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nCarlos Santos Brody: Portuguese Shoemaking Mastery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhen the tradition of the East meets the mastery of the West<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhy is quality always above blindly following a trend?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIs cashmere for everyday use?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nFashion as a bridge between cultures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n