(That's shanghai)
Updated: 2007-01-09 11:31

In the 1990s, when Gap first came out with a range of jeans to satisfy even the most discriminating customer, I was their worst nightmare. A determined teenage fashionista, I tried on more than a hundred pair of jeans at four different outlets, and in the end decided that there was not a single pair of their size six longs that were good enough for me. Where was The Source back then?

Newly-opened clothing and accessories behemoth The Source not only specializes in international streetwear brands but has a bespoke denim 'factory' as well. There, design perfectionists work alongside denim engineers to construct an ideal pair of pants in terms of cut, wash, pockets, rivets, buttons - the works. For RMB 888 you can get yourself those indispensable jeans that wear well in work and play, and if there's one fashion tide you won't see turning any time soon it's the indefatigable pair of jeans.

This 1,000-meter industrial-chic space also offers a selection of exclusively retailed sneakers, such as Onitsuka by Asics and JB Classics, as well as clothing lines such as Insight from Australia and Jesus from Holland. You weren't aware that Jesus was from Holland? Well, says Nathan Chang, one of The Source's directors: "We have over 40 different brands and we want people to come and learn about international labels. This is as much of an education process as anything else."

Alongside its retail endeavors, The Source also aims to be a sort of platform for counterculture. With its sponsored magazine Rack that pivots around urban street movements, and a large area dedicated to monthly art exhibits, The Source is well on its way to being much more than just a place to buy kicks and clothes.

The Source
Address: 158 Xinle Lu.