You know that sorry-not-sorry feeling you get when you pick something up on holiday that no-one else will have? (When they’re not printed harem pants from Goa, that is). Here’s a way to get it without suffering the indignities of weird poo chat, jet lag and rubbish tan lines – the cult Chinese e-store Front Row Shop.
The Shanghai shop opened in 2012, designed to bring the (super directional) clothes VIPS wear on the front row at fashion week to Chinese girls – at H&M prices. Even though I haven't been to China since I was ten years old (and wore a grey Great Wall of China tracksuit for the entire 2 week holiday), I can now shop the best Chinese fashion from my desk.
I discovered Front Row when I spotted Vancouver-based blogger Vanessa Hong repeat wearing Front Row's excellent faux leather joggers and Brit blogger Kavita Donkersley wearing a black and white stripey faux fur jacket. An hour of browsing later I discovered the e-store isn’t just amazing – think the best bits you find in Topshop and Zara but months earlier – but it ships to the UK too. Meaning that when your friends are buying bright faux fur jackets or clutch bags with wrist straps, you’ll have worn yours forever already.
Vanessa – whose blog, The Haute Pursuit, is a slick homage to all things sports luxe – extols the virtues of Front Row Shop and often features Front Row Shop's faux leather joggers on THP. 'I discovered it when I was living in Beijing. I really love how trend driven the brand is – plus it's super affordable and the quality is* so* good.'
My recent Front Row Shop purchases include a metallic midi skirt like the one Jourdan Dunn is wearing in Topshop’s campaign – which hasn’t hit stores yet - and some Stella-inspired tractor tread platform boots. (Warning: the site may make your debit card cry.) It’s also the only place I’ve found how to buy into the skirts-over-trousers trend that fashion people like Yasmin Sewell and Leandra Medinedebuted recently.
My top Front Row Shop picks for right now are the teddy bear coat a la MaxMara, the lace hem dress, the quilted faux leather leggings and the longline pastel coats in both blush pink and cornflower blue with side splits. And that’s a wrap on this my weekly international shopping dispatch. Till next time, my intrepid shoppers.
Pictures: The Haute Pursuit and She Wears Fashion
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.