Double the Vintage: Rose Mansion and The Big 8s

Beiluogu Xiang is not quite the next Nanluogu Xiang – at least not yet. For the most part it’s still isolated, lined only by unremarkable xiao chi restaurants, chuan’r stands and courtyard homes. Yet edgy boutiques have recently been inching their way in. We reviewed toy store WHAT in our February issue, but a month-old showroom just a few doors down also shows great promise.

The space is shared by The Big 8s and Rose Mansion, two projects that specialize in Chinese and Western vintage, respectively. Damon Yau (Hong Kong) and Nuria Cimini (Spain), the founders of The Big 8s, met while studying Chinese in Beijing. For the last few months, they’ve been scouring local markets for nearly destroyed homewares, furniture, electronics, bags and accessories from the ‘60s-‘80s, which they then renew and often redesign.

The selection was comparable to what you’d find at Nanluogu Xiang store Bye Bye Disco – very retro kitsch. There were old radios, a wooden vanity desk (RMB 6,800), vintage sneakers and aviator goggles (RMB 480), all wedged into one tiny room.

If you’re curious about the name, The Big 8s refers to China in the 1980s, when – according to Nuria – the common people maintained a higher living standard than they ever had before. In order to get married, every husband was apparently required to produce a minimum of eight items for the new house: a TV, camera, stereo, electric fan, bicycle, washing machine, fridge and furniture set.

But you won’t only find Chinese memorablia here. Rose Mansion, which is run by Damon and Nuria’s friend Nicole Au (Hong Kong), brings in Western vintage clothing and accessories purchased from abroad.

She also makes her own soaps with natural ingredients like orange and olive oil, as well as jewelry hand-processed from vintage toys.

For the time being, the store’s business hours are by appointment only, though the owners promise they’ll be in the store more often as soon as the weather warms up. Damon tells me they're in the process of moving to a bigger space (either on Beiluogu Xiang or elsewhere) and will host plenty of outdoor markets in the future. We plan on tracking their development very closely.

The Big 8s / Rose Mansion. By appointment only. 27 Beiluogu Xiang, Dongcheng District (131 6159 2011) 东城区北锣鼓巷27号

TheBig8s
www.thebig8s.com

Rose Mansion
blog: http://rosemansion.blogbus.com

Also try: Bye Bye Disco, Shanghai Memory