I had forgotten how much I loved this Asian luxury bran d until recently. At a small cocktail party to celebrate the Lunar New Year (yay Tiger-tinis!) I got to re-familiarize myself with the sophisticated tongue-in-cheek style of Shanghai Tang. Blending ancient motifs of clouds, fans and dragons, their collection of handbags reinterpreted these themes into chic, modern must-haves for today. The Double Happiness clutch at $295 is styled in a fan silhouette in graphic, pop art colors. The piecing is a variation of the classic Chinese symbol and reminiscent of Hong Kong of the 1960s. There were several pieces in silver metallic inspired the moon and clouds. The layered moon bag for $645 is perfectly contemporary, but draws inspiration from traditional Chinese Shan Shui paintings. The sleek elegant dragon clutch was my favorite. A richly detailed dragon was embroidered in crystal for $965.

Original Source of Shanghai Tang’s Spring/Summer 2010 Preview