S2VSSee Address

New York indie-designer menswear has arrived on Nanchang Lu, and it’s significantly cheaper than its Stateside counterpart. S2VS was founded in 2007 by New Yorker Sean William Salim (S2VS represents his initials, with the ‘W’ resembling two ‘V’s), a graduate of the prestigious Parsons design school in New York. Designs may be formed in New York, but they are forged in Shanghai and therefore cheaper – much cheaper. A S2VS t-shirt in New York is almost 500RMB (75USD), but in Shanghai a similar hand-screen print t-shirt is 180RMB.

The Shanghai shop is housed in a converted lane house, which has retained some original features, including the tiled floor. It’s cosy but elegantly decked out in white, with wood-panelled walls and a row of antique iron lamps lighting the counter. It’s utilitarian, refined but edgy – three adjectives that also describe the S2VS collection.

For Fall/Winter, S2VS was inspired by how Chinese factory workers often customise leftover garments from the production line for themselves. Expect classic silhouettes in a hushed palette of largely grey, blue and black with added quirky detail, such as the white shirt with three-quarter-length sleeves and a minimal collar (320RMB).
We love the charcoal-grey wool bomber jacket with oversized lapels and wooden buttons (680RMB – S2VS is into buttons, and has a range that includes wood, horn and shell, 2-10RMB). The navy cable-knit jumper with front pockets (980RMB) is also a standout, as are the cracking black Wellies (rain boots to some) for 200RMB. We can barely wait for the womenswear slated to follow early next year.

Nicola Davison