Beijing's Best Kept Secret: Wuhao

Call it what you will – a curated space, a concept store, a clothing boutique, whatever – but finding this place is a feat in itself. Perhaps getting me lost in a tangle of hutongs is all part of their master plan, a test that will allow only the truly committed to pay homage to the treasures within. No wonder Wuhao’s managed to stay hidden for so long.

Beijing’s best-kept secret can be identified only by its address: a pair of dainty metal numbers pinned discreetly beside massive dungeon-like doors. I rang the doorbell and waited.

Imagine elegant, playful and cutting-edge clothing beyond your wildest dreams, strewn about a traditional Chinese courtyard setting. Fantastical art exhibitions – like the ice fish entrance – inject the atmosphere with a sense of magical surrealism.

I’m greeted by the owner, a Frenchwoman named Isabelle Pascal, who insists on giving all visitors the grand tour. She explains that they stock over 80 designers – all either Chinese or China-inspired – and adapt the environment and collection on a seasonal basis according to the five elements.

I am aghast at the sheer amount of thought and labor devoted to each project. Pascal points out fascinating details: tiny beads on a fur cap, all individually hand-stitched; the fitting room lined with goose feathers; a bench made with traditional Chinese woodworking techniques, etc. Then again, she has strong motives. “I want to present Chinese designers’ work in the way they deserve,” she tells me, with sincerity. “People don’t know there is creativity in China.”

In the main pavilion, three mannequins stand side by side, modeling three different black dresses. Two are made by French couturiers, the third by Beijing-based brand LMC. To the naked eye there’s no discernible difference amongst them; they belong together. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly the point.

Must buy: Set of three “antler” rings by Suchunrong (RMB 980)
Also try: BNC, Triple-Major

Wuhao. Wed-Sun 2-8pm, or by appointment. 35 Mao’er Hutong, Dongcheng District (6400 5435; 189 1135 5035) http://wuhaoonline.com 东城区帽儿胡同35号