At Modern Sky Music Festival

For many staying in Beijing over the National Day holiday, the Modern Sky Music Festival is the highlight of the week. The most significant of the at least three competing music festivals happening concurrently right now in Beijing, Modern Sky has the advantage of being backed by the eponymous record label and drawing at several major international acts, including former Suede frontman Brett Anderson. For me, the highlight will be the New Pants concert tomorrow. Here is an interesting Forbes article about the proliferation of music festivals across China.

An Aesthete’s Apothecary

The new Triple-Major shop does not clash with its surroundings. The design is even more traditional than nearby establishments – inexpensive restaurants, alterations shops and sundries stalls – on Baochao Hutong, an as yet ungentrified alley running north from trendy Gulou street. Triple-Major is disguised as a traditional Chinese drugstore and even contains all the necessary accoutrements such as Qing Dynasty medicine cabinets and statues marked with all the vital points for acupuncture treatment. For lovers of obscure US and European fashion labels all previously unavailable elsewhere in China, the retail nourishment available here may be as essential as the physical boon from imbibing Chinese medicines. The funniest thing is that I met proprietor Ritchie Chan for the first time earlier this year outside Bryant Park, during fashion week in New York. At that time, he was considering a move to Beijing. It’s impressive that he has been able to pull together this enterprise so quickly. Ritchie自己这样形容他的新店:“Triple-Major是一家隐藏在老胡同百年中药店里的欧美前卫服装概念店。店内独家代理来自十多个国家像Daniel Palillo, Fabrics Interseason, Pelican Avenue, Skywardç­‰20多位设计师。店的主要目的是让国内渐趋商业化的时装界带来一些不一样和新鲜选择,并希望购买者能更深入地了解每件衣服背后的故事和意义。”

The new Triple-Major shop does not clash with its surroundings. The design is even more traditional than nearby establishments – inexpensive restaurants, alterations shops and sundries stalls – on Baochao Hutong, an as yet ungentrified alley running north from trendy Gulou street. Triple-Major is disguised as a traditional Chinese drugstore and even contains all the necessary accoutrements such as Qing Dynasty medicine cabinets and statues marked with all the vital points for acupuncture treatment. For lovers of obscure US and European fashion labels all previously unavailable elsewhere in China, the retail nourishment available here may be as essential as the physical boon from imbibing Chinese medicines.

The funniest thing is that I met proprietor Ritchie Chan for the first time earlier this year outside Bryant Park, during fashion week in New York. At that time, he was considering a move to Beijing. It’s impressive that he has been able to pull together this enterprise so quickly.

Ritchie自己这样形容他的新店:“Triple-Major是一家隐藏在老胡同百年中药店里的欧美前卫服装概念店。店内独家代理来自十多个国家像Daniel Palillo, Fabrics Interseason, Pelican Avenue, Skyward等20多位设计师。店的主要目的是让国内渐趋商业化的时装界带来一些不一样和新鲜选择,并希望购买者能更深入地了解每件衣服背后的故事和意义。”

Flea Market at Triple-Major

The first flea market on the roof of newly-opened boutique Triple Major attracted vendors, hipster shoppers, and at least a few fashion editors to charming Baochao Hutong, which is slightly northwest of the intersection between Gulou and Nanluoguxiang. The wares were a mix of well-preserved and high quality vintage brought back from abroad, low-priced new merchandise produced and purchased locally, and items worn by the former merchants themselves.