You know that sorry-not-sorry feeling you get when you pick something up on holiday that no-one else will have? (When they’re not printed harem pants from Goa, that is). Here’s a way to get it without suffering the indignities of weird poo chat, jet lag and rubbish tan lines – the cult Chinese e-store Front Row Shop.
The Shanghai shop opened in 2012, designed to bring the (super directional) clothes VIPS wear on the front row at fashion week to Chinese girls – at H&M prices. Even though I haven't been to China since I was ten years old (and wore a grey Great Wall of China tracksuit for the entire 2 week holiday), I can now shop the best Chinese fashion from my desk.
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I discovered Front Row when I spotted Vancouver-based blogger Vanessa Hong repeat wearing Front Row's excellent faux leather joggers and Brit blogger Kavita Donkersley wearing a black and white stripey faux fur jacket. An hour of browsing later I discovered the e-store isn’t just amazing – think the best bits you find in Topshop and Zara but months earlier – but it ships to the UK too. Meaning that when your friends are buying bright faux fur jackets or clutch bags with wrist straps, you’ll have worn yours forever already.
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Vanessa – whose blog, The Haute Pursuit, is a slick homage to all things sports luxe – extols the virtues of Front Row Shop and often features Front Row Shop's faux leather joggers on THP. 'I discovered it when I was living in Beijing. I really love how trend driven the brand is – plus it's super affordable and the quality is* so* good.'
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My recent Front Row Shop purchases include a metallic midi skirt like the one Jourdan Dunn is wearing in Topshop’s campaign – which hasn’t hit stores yet - and some Stella-inspired tractor tread platform boots. (Warning: the site may make your debit card cry.) It’s also the only place I’ve found how to buy into the skirts-over-trousers trend that fashion people like Yasmin Sewell and Leandra Medinedebuted recently.
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My top Front Row Shop picks for right now are the teddy bear coat a la MaxMara, the lace hem dress, the quilted faux leather leggings and the longline pastel coats in both blush pink and cornflower blue with side splits. And that’s a wrap on this my weekly international shopping dispatch. Till next time, my intrepid shoppers.
Pictures: The Haute Pursuit and She Wears Fashion
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.