Le Fame Office Building 拉飞姆时装公司办公室

The fashion brand Le Fame’s office is located at Anfu Street, Xuhui, Shanghai, tucked away in a quiet corner near Wukang Road. It’s a small villa built in the 1930s.

Le Fame fuses Eastern and Western’s design; Its tone wanders from the traditional to modern day’s avantgarde. Therefore, the concept of renovation and interior design of the office building should keep up with nowadays trend while giving a touch of old fashion. The atmosphere of the building delivers a strand of mixed yet concord emotions, and the villa from the last century becomes a portal that tells the tale of two cities —- old Shanghai and the modern metropolis.

Little changes had been made to the facades of the building. Besides the small adjustments of the front door and re-plastering of walls, the focus is on the balcony and the railings. The once ordinary black bars are replaced by rouge metal rails. Simple yet exquisite, those floral patterns decorate the facades like layers of soft laces. It is an homage to 20th century’s incredible craftsmanship.

First floor of the office functions as a place for exhibitions and conferences. Second and third floors are workspace, and the pattern designer works in the double-height space of third floor. The main design element is strong contrast of colours. Revolves around this central tone, scenes are constructed to be the media between space and its users.

To La Fame, Exhibition area and meeting rooms do not play by conventions. They are boudoirs filled with perfumes, salons with dangling lights, ballrooms with whirling dancers. All in all, these are settings that the brand imagines its customers will be in. This space is ornamented with layers of rouge silks, indigo blue wainscoting panels, and marble decorative lines. During Covid-19 quarantine period, the exhibition place becomes a streaming room. Those neon lights, mirrors, and crystal glasses from the background are surprisingly suited with streaming.

In the office area, turquoise wallpapers match with rouge office furniture and old-fashioned lampshade. The gestalt of the working space reminds people of post-war offices in Hong Kong — a charming combination of modernism and southeast Asian style. Design of this building not only aligns with the style of the nearby neighbourhood, but also manifests brand’s core value into daily works.

The stairway is also worth mentioning. Dark coloured wooden handrail circles up to the top floor. Around the patio, a stream of simple and stylish lights with futuristic features is designed by Mario Tsai’s Studio from Hangzhou. The Mazha light lands a final touch to the future of this old villa.