Borsalino Opens First China Boutique at Shanghai Plaza 66

Borsalino opened its first permanent boutique in mainland China at Shanghai’s Plaza 66, launching the 170-year-old Italian luxury hatmaker’s direct retail presence in the country.

The Shanghai debut anchors the company’s broader expansion push across Greater China and key international retail destinations.

Mauro Baglietto, managing director of Borsalino, led the ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside Alec Hou, chief executive of Essence Group, joined by representatives from the Italian government and Plaza 66 leasing management. To accompany the launch, the brand unveiled a limited-edition jewellery collection featuring a Fedora finished with an 18-carat gold logo set with rubies, sapphires and diamonds.

Heritage and Pop-Up Operations

Plaza 66 hosted a Borsalino pop-up installation from 22 to 27 August to support the boutique opening. The temporary space showed archival vintage headwear, demonstrations of Italian millinery craft, and bespoke personalisation services for local shoppers.

Giuseppe Borsalino established the company in Alessandria, Italy, in 1857, making it the country’s oldest operating luxury hatmaker. The business currently pairs its own-brand boutiques and wholesale accounts with global distribution networks, fashion collaborations and film-industry styling partnerships.

Niche Luxury in Prime Retail Malls

Heritage European craft houses continue to seek dedicated real estate across top-tier Chinese commercial centers to engage high-net-worth buyers directly rather than relying solely on multi-brand stockists. Placing a standalone store inside Plaza 66 gives Borsalino immediate access to Shanghai’s most concentrated luxury customer base.

The next metric to watch is whether Essence Group and Borsalino follow this flagship opening with additional retail leases in secondary luxury hubs such as Beijing and Chengdu.