A trend I've been noticing in Shanghai lately is the gradual ascent of mall culture. Perhaps the buying power of the Chinese population is slowly recovering or maybe people are just tired of gambling with the online purchases. But it is nice to see shopping malls in the hip areas of Shanghai getting some love again; and in the TX Huaihai's case, their exciting brand selection, plus fashion-forward events are what make people interested in coming back to it.

TX Huaihai is located in a location that is full of potential to service your wardrobe, if you understand how to utilize it. During the day it is a youthful, fashion hub, while at night time, it becomes a nightlife staple with two iconic clubs, Potent (a K-pop, diva's heaven) and Abyss (a techno, not-like-other-girls paradise). And if I'm being honest, just until recently, I did not look at this mall as something to go hang out at during the day and actually buy something. I could not tell you what was going on inside of it six months ago, as nothing exciting was happening over there (that I was aware of). Especially with its direct competitor, HAI550, right in front of it. (Check out our previous Fashion Files on it)

The first instance when I actually decided to take TX seriously was after they hosted a British label Ashley Williams event. And right after that, later that night, a chic party for Private Policy, a New York-based brand. That night made me pay closer attention to TX. I had a feeling that they would put a lot of effort into attracting stylish youths and... I was right.

Their next successful step in reviving customers' interest was featuring viral, young Chinese accessories brands, Pane and Muva. If you are tuned into online discourse on platforms like Instagram, netizens coming to Shanghai have been featuring both of these brands in their "Stores to visit when in Shanghai" lists.

Here's What You'll Find Inside TX Huaihai

1) Pane soft leather mininamlist shoes

1) Pane soft leather mininamlist shoes

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  Pane's store inside of TX Huaihai.

Pane, a local Shanghai shoe brand that gained a massive popularity surge last year, with both Chinese and foreign audiences. Amazing quality, soft leather and relaxed shape with some antiquity references, with most of their shoes costing around 800 yuan, an affordable luxury. When my mom visited me, these shoes were number one on her "to-buy" list. Long story short, we both left with a pair of amazing sneakers.

2) Muva

2) Muva

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  Muva entrance

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2) Muva- another Chinese brand that has been trending in the to-visit lists as well. They design bags both from PU and real leather, highly customizable with cutesy charms, based mostly around desserts (a plus in my book). Besides the adorable styles, the price point couldn't be better, most bags selling at around 300-400 yuan. The staff are also very sweet and helpful; and if you spend a certain amount, I think 600 yuan, you get some free accessories.

3) Torties

Beyond the Instagram-famous labels, I'll walk you through a few other stores worth visiting – plus share some of my personal product picks. If you enter TX through the main ground level entrance, the shop that greets you is Torties. A conceptual retail pop-up store, featuring some of the hottest items and collections, and a large Oakley section (for some reason). The most interesting offerings there were the different, unique shoes.

4) Kangol - a British hat brand

4) Kangol - a British hat brand

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The store right next to Torties is Kangol. Kangol is quite an old British label, first established in 1938, I believe. They sell hats. Apparently, the seemingly Australian kangaroo logo was inspired by customers frequently asking for the "kangaroo hat", hence the logo. It is not an easy task for me to find a hat that doesn't look weird, or fits too small for me, especially in Asia. However, besides the fun designs and incredible materials (wool, rabbit fur), Kangol offers different sizes for almost every design they have, not a very common thing around here.

5) OUDAV'KYO - Japanese oversized minimalist clothing

5) OUDAV'KYO - Japanese oversized minimalist clothing

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  Brandon McGhee
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Another interesting store on the ground floor is OUDAV'KYO. Japanese minimalism, oversized and monochromatic clothing. Not my personal style, however, if you're looking for something demure, yet structurally interesting, you might want to check it out. Their simple white T-shirts are something I think anyone can wear, especially if you value comfort and breathability.

6) ENG Concept Store - a fashion collection store

6) ENG Concept Store - a fashion collection store

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  Brandon McGhee
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  ENG Concept store

The mall has a lot of showroom-style stores, curated, unified-in-aesthetic shops that feature multiple brands, usually targeted toward a very specific audience. Torties, while featuring very stylish and hot items, still features very approachable clothing pieces. Another showroom store on the same ground floor is ENG Concept Store. Their collection is very fashion forward, not for the casual wearer. Brands like Mowalola, Jaded London, Sporty & Rich and many others (also, quite expensive).

The mall has some surprising American brands like Dr. Martens and Nautica. Nothing too exciting over there, just basic, familiar clothing and leather shoes. However, there is a new Dr. Martens shoe model, a chunky, slightly futuristic clog-style shoe, in case you're interested.

ClimaxVision and LSoul are local Chinese clothing brands. While I don't think LSoul is something worth a dedicated visit, ClimaxVision has some cool, commercial styles (but very young people-focused). Blackhead Lab is a popular, affordable jewelry label, frequently collaborating with local influencers and organizing events. They have a more kitschy design language, but you can also find some affordable silver staples there as well. Oh, and there is a pet collection now, so get your fur baby a little present.

Interestingly enough, TX doesn't have many food and beverage places inside. The only prominent two spots I've noticed were this coffee stand and a pizza place (Tube Station) on the fourth floor. Apparently, it used to be the place to get the biggest pizza in Shanghai, I'm not sure if it still holds that title. Haago, had drinks of many unique combination flavors. If you want a slight buzz while shopping, go here.

There are a lot of miscellaneous storefronts in this mall, too many to count. Most of them I didn't find particularly inviting, however, on the second floor there was a huge store that looked like a warehouse of many random clothing items, and I'm pretty sure they were all on sale. So, if you have time to sift through many racks of tacky garments, I'm sure you can come across a real gem.

Name: TX Huaihai | TX淮海

Address: 523 Huaihai Road M. | 淮海中路523号

Time: 11am-10pm