Giovanni Raspini opens his first flagship store in Shanghai
A concept store blending Italian craftsmanship and Eastern influences
A journey blending the authenticity of Tuscan goldsmithing tradition with a contemporary design vision, shaping a space that tells the excellence of Made in Italy craftsmanship, while embracing and dialoguing with Oriental influences.
Contemporary design to express Made in Italy in China
Giovanni Raspini marks his arrival in the heart of the Orient, at the Grand Gateway 66 shopping mall in Shanghai. The brand’s first flagship store in China, designed by Vudafieri-Saverino Partners – established in Shanghai since 2012 – offers a thoughtful reinterpretation of the brand’s Italian heritage, seamlessly adapted to the Chinese cultural context.
Black façade and natural materials: the identity of the Giovanni Raspini brand
The space embodies a story of balance: black, the iconic color of Giovanni Raspini, wraps the façade as a distinctive hallmark, setting a tone of understated elegance and forging an aesthetic connection with Asian culture.
Visual harmony and references to Tuscan tradition in the store design
The store’s design draws inspiration from harmony and visual balance, deeply resonating with Chinese aesthetics. In the interior design project by architects Tiziano Vudafieri and Claudio Saverino, every detail is a homage to Italian craftsmanship: niches of different shapes enrich the interior, bringing rhythm and depth to the space and highlighting the displayed jewelry collections, while the natural materials used encounter a warm and tactile soul inspired by Tuscany, the birthplace of the Giovanni Raspini brand, where villages are adorned with semi- rough finishes, earthy tones, and an authentic beauty, here translated into smooth and dynamic surfaces.
Black returns in discreet touches and integrates perfectly with materials such as stone, wood, and rose gold metal, which tell the story of designer Giovanni Raspini’s mastery: each surface and each material, together, tell the story of the artisan tradition, the passion for quality, and the authenticity typical of the brand.
A central table as a symbol of the artisan atelier
At the heart of the store is a central table that recalls the idea of an atelier: a traditional handcrafted workshop reimagined through a contemporary lens. From a space where creativity was shaped and luxury was given form, it now becomes a place where all this can be admired in its most complete expression. Surrounded by terracotta-colored stools, designed in collaboration with Joysliving, it invites visitors to explore the collections.
Animalier installation: a symbolic dialogue between cultures
Above it, a silver installation inspired by the brand’s Animalier collection, entirely handmade, depicts a branch with parrots and creates a parallel in the Chinese symbolism of nature. This branch descending from the ceiling adds a scenic and distinctive presence, evoking themes of harmony, connection, and beauty, values shared in the artistic representations of both cultures.
Tribute to Shanghai’s Art Déco and the magnolia flower
A wall covered in fabric pays homage to Shanghai Art Déco: inspired by the historic buildings of the 1920s, an embroidered magnolia flower – symbolizing rebirth and purity – highlights the dialogue between Italian roots and the Chinese public.
VIP area: comfort, storytelling, and home collections by Raspini
The narrative continues in the VIP area, conceived as a cozy and quiet space. The enveloping armchairs welcome visitors, while hand-drawn illustrations by Giovanni Raspini tell the story of the brand with a personal and artistic touch, also showing the home collections.
“Designing this space was like drawing a connection point between two worlds. We wanted to translate the strength of the artisan know-how and the unique character of Giovanni Raspini into an environment that would speak to the taste of the new Chinese public, without losing the Italian authenticity. Every element is a fragment of that story,” say Tiziano Vudafieri and Claudio Saverino.
Vudafieri-Saverino Partners: a bridge between Italy and China in luxury retail
Through the design of Giovanni Raspini’s first flagship store in China, Vudafieri-Saverino Partners accompanies the Italian brand in its Shanghai debut, telling the story of Made in Italy in an international context, and offering a new vision of luxury that combines tradition, design, and culture. This project becomes an experience, a manifesto of Italian craftsmanship excellence that opens up to the world with elegance and innovation.
Location: Shanghai, Cina
Project: Vudafieri-Saverino Partners, Tiziano Vudafieri and Claudio Saverino with Stefano Piontini – partner APAC
Project director: Sebastiano Cattiodoro
Design Team: Anna Petrara, Chiara Yu
Photo credit: Raw Vision