Ms MIN Retail Space by Neri&Hu: A Contemporary Textile Atelier in Shanghai
Ms MIN's Shanghai retail space treats the boutique as an atelier where the making of textiles is part of the spatial story. Designed by Neri&Hu for the fashion brand founded by Liu Min and Ian Hylton, the project draws on the long history of domestic weaving in China. Instead of recreating a historic workshop, the designers use the idea of a place where cloth, craft and daily life meet as the foundation of a contemporary retail interior.
An atelier rather than a conventional store
The plan is organised into different but visually connected zones. To the right of the entrance, a timber structure with overhanging eaves is conceived as a small house. It contains the reception at its front and a more private working or studio area further inside. The form suggests a domestic building, giving the boutique an atmosphere of intimacy and making craft part of the guest's arrival.
To the left, another series of light timber frames defines the window line. Fabric is suspended between them to form flexible screens that soften daylight and filter views into the shopping centre. These partitions do not behave as solid walls. Their translucency, movement and changing relationship with the clothes demonstrate the possibilities of textile itself as an architectural material.
A courtyard built from familiar ceramic forms
Between the house-like timber volume and the garment racks, Neri&Hu creates a small internal courtyard. Its paving uses curved traditional roof tiles, stacked and inset to form a textured ground surface. This reference to familiar building craft connects the contemporary retail setting with older forms of making without resorting to a decorative reproduction of a village.
Movable panels divide the courtyard into display settings that can be rearranged across different collections. The layout provides practical flexibility for a fashion brand whose installations change with the seasons. It also ensures that the space does not become a rigid display case; customers can experience different routes and views as the merchandise evolves.
Display as a reflection of craftsmanship
Neri&Hu developed custom mannequins for the store using linen, whose slightly irregular woven surface gives them a more tactile, human quality than a polished synthetic form. The figures speak directly to the brand's emphasis on fabric and fit, while allowing the clothes to remain central. Their design shows how retail furniture and product presentation can form part of the architectural narrative.
Timber and cloth establish a light material palette, while the tiled court introduces weight and texture at floor level. Together they make a space that feels composed but not fragile. Objects are presented within frames, thresholds and layered materials that encourage customers to move slowly and pay attention to touch, proportion and construction.
A place to experience the relationship between clothing and space
The atelier concept is effective because it makes the process of fashion visible through spatial decisions. A garment is not presented as an isolated commodity on an illuminated shelf; it is surrounded by references to the structures, fibres and tools that make design possible. Architecture and fashion share a vocabulary of weaving, fitting, framing and moving.
The result is a boutique with a domestic calm that contrasts with the pace of a busy shopping destination. Its flexibility is integral to the concept: timber screens, cloth and interchangeable display panels establish a stable architectural identity while permitting future collections to occupy the space in different ways.
Project details and photography
Project: Atelier | Ms MIN Retail Space, Taikoo Li, Shanghai, China. Interior design: Neri&Hu Design and Research Office. Area: 195 m². Completed: January 2022. The first nine project photographs in this draft are credited to Zhu Runzi, and the tenth to Sanif Xu, following the individual filenames in Neri&Hu's official photographic archive.
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