Italian fashion brand Prada has opened Mi Shang, a restaurant in the Rongzhai villa in Shanghai that was designed by director Wong Kar Wai to evoke the visual identity of his films.
Mi Shang is Prada’s first stand-alone fine dining space in Asia. Wong described the concept of the restaurant as “tête-bêche symbiosis: a seamless reflection between Italy and China, Shanghai and Milan.”
According to the filmmaker, the concept of tête-bêche comes from philately, where two stamps are inverted, mirrored, and juxtaposed.
The idea of reflection and correspondence is a common thread in Wong’s films, and at the restaurant, he used materials that would help the Shanghai space mirror venues in Prada’s hometown of Milan.
Located on the second floor of the historical 1918 Rongzhai villa, which Prada acquired in 2011 and opened to the public as a cultural space after six years of renovations, Mi Shang was designed to respect the history of the space.
Artworks and curated collections of antiques are on display inside the villa.
A corridor was designed with a sequence of ceiling lights to reference a hotel corridor in Wong’s film In the Mood for Love and lead the guests to the entrance of the restaurant.
On arrival, guests are greeted by the restaurant’s library, where a curated book collection spanning Chinese craftsmanship, decorative arts and Italian design is available for browsing.
The room features a Shanghai-style woodblock artwork, created by Wong in collaboration with art brand Duo Yun Xuan Art Centre using traditional Chinese woodblock printing techniques.
Called Rising Clouds, Blooming Flower, the piece is one of five sets that were informed by Blossoms Shanghai, Wong’s TV series depicting the city’s vibrant spirit in the 1990s.
The dining room to the right of the library aims to recreate the nocturnal flair of In the Mood for Love and combine it with Prada’s own aesthetic.
In the pastry shop to the left of the library, Wong used handcrafted cherry wood and brass furnishings to connect the space to Prada’s first Milan store, opened in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in 1913.
At the heart of Mi Shang is the cafe, where guests can gather along a bar counter reminiscent of Shanghai social hubs in the 1910s to 30.
It was crafted by local artisans, who also restored the villa’s wooden elements and brought back the intricate turned-wood scrollwork that was commonly seen at that time.
Nestled within the cafe, the study showcases curated antique furnitures and rare collectibles. It connects to a terrace and outdoor garden, the design of which was informed by Shanghai’s first outdoor lounge open to women in the late 19th and early 20th century.
“The project embraces Wong Kar Wai’s distinctive narrative aesthetics, forging a compelling connection between Milan’s and Shanghai’s visual cultures,” Prada said.
“Through a refined interplay of reflection and juxtaposition, it fosters a sophisticated dialogue that intertwines art, history, culture, and gastronomy.”
While the second floor of Rongzhai houses the Mi Shang restaurant, the third floor introduces the apartment, an exclusive space that presents a curated selection of products and bespoke services to highlight Prada’s heritage.
The rest of the building will continue to be dedicated to art exhibitions and various cultural events.
Previously Prada has also worked with filmmaker Wes Anderson, who designed a bar intended to recreate the atmosphere of Milanese cafes inside the Fondazione Prada in Milan. Recently, the brand also designed NASA’s Artemis III spacesuit.
The photography is courtesy of Prada.
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