Scarves and shawls. I guess every woman has at least a few in their closet; they're practically a fashion necessity, especially in the cold season, where a good cashmere scarf not only polishes your whole outfit, but also provides warmth. Cashmere has long been celebrated for its super-light weight and soft texture and now Woo (from Wu, taken from Wumei, meaning female charm), which specializes in cashmere scarves and shawls, has come to Sanlitun from Shanghai.

With a background under the tutelage of well-known Chinese artist Chen Yifei, owner Sun Qingfeng's talents are amply demonstrated at this elegantly laid-out store. "'Woo,' in old English, means pursue, implying Mr. Sun's endless pursuit of beauty," store manager Tu Yingyan told Lifestyle. Mainly divided into two parts, connected by two dome-shaped wooden gates, the store's display shelves are made of elm and engraved with Chinese "lucky" words or symbols.

"This is Fengshui Lun," Tu said, pointing at a round stone featuring flowing water put besides the cashier counter. "Sun's belief in feng shui shaped the layout of this store," she added.

Chinese design and patterns such as water, oil and hand painting and Su and Jing embroidery, can all be found on Woo's scarves and shawls. One of artist Gu Yuan's famous paintings, Fu ("Happiness"), depicting bright-red persimmon in courtyards with sets of tables and chairs, is vividly copied on one silk scarf (1,280 yuan). Another impressive piece is Gu Yuan's Dunhuang Feitian ("Dunhuang flies skywards"), with two eye-catching Buddhas and cursive Chinese calligraphy taken from Jingangjing (The Diamond Sutra, also known as Vajra Cutter Sutra).

Woo's products range from 100-yuan silk scarves to over 120,000 yuan for a cashmere scarf featuring handmade Himalayan embroidery, which represents over five years' embroidery handwork by Himalayans, according to Tu. "The most expensive pieces are not displayed in store, but come about by customer request," she explained.

Cashmere takes up more than 90 percent of their entire collection, yet there are almost no two identical items in color or pattern. Lifestyle found popularly affordable items were the lotus leaf "Lazy Scarf," so-called because of its ease in tying, priced around 500 to 600 yuan and the 1,580 yuan knitted cashmere scarf/shawl (available in about 10 colors) with buttons, which Tu claimed actress Song Jia once wore in CCTV soap Wulikanhua and boasts more than 10 different ways of wearing. It can be miraculously "transformed" into shawl, vest, scarf, cardigan and even hoodie, making its price tag seem less imposing and more like a bargain.

The real luxury pieces are the super-thin cashmere items, nicknamed "ring cashmere," ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 yuan. Why the name? Tu said one way to test its quality is to pass it through a ring; if the scarf can smoothly go through, it's a good sign. "That is why top-class cashmere is called 'soft gold,'" she said, showing me a common-looking pure-colored cashmere scarf with a surprising price of 4,680 yuan.

"It's called baby cashmere, from the lambs living in the Himalayas. Top quality." Blankets are sold too, with a 2.5-meter by 2-meter blanket costing about 6,800 yuan. And in a move that's sure to upset animal lovers, they even have a small fur section. A grey shawl made from wild chinchilla costs 6,880 yuan, though you probably don't want to think about how it got made. Sale guides are on hand to teach you how to maximize your look and a how-to book is offered free with every purchase.

Address: Unit NLG-36A, Sanlitun Village North Yard 11, Sanlitun road, Chaoyang district. 朝阳区三里屯Village北区NLG36A

Tel: 6416-0678

Go to Forum >>0 Comments