Lama Hourani opens Shanghai boutique

Jordanian jeweller Lama Hourani has opened an exclusive boutique in Shanghai.

But it’s been positioned as so exclusive, customers cannot enter without a prior appointment.

Lama Hourani’s exquisite silver and gold jewellery creations are creating a stir in Asia, underpinning her rising fame as a celebrity designer in Asia. Her creations are worn by royalty, the glitterazzi and even the Pope.

The new store is on the ground floor of a historic house in Shanghai’s French Concession. Its decor is like something from a book celebrating Arabian design: gold and marble plinths, deep blue carpet, black and white images on the walls depicting minorities, gold framed mirrors.

“I opened [the boutique] because people in China were just so curious…The handmade aspect is special, and it’s a major plus for me to have a proper presence here.”

Hourani these days lives in Shanghai so it is no surprise she chose the vibrant, modern city for her first retail presence. But she is also a regular visitor to Hong Kong, presenting exclusive curations of her designs to customers – again by appointment only.

“My clients are from all over the world and are usually independent, self-established, culturally curious women… China has so much of that,” she said in a recent interview.

“If you are talking about demographics, those who are well-travelled, the crème de la crème, they all want to wear a statement piece that says something, rather than something that makes them belong somewhere. A lot of customers in China are beyond that first stage.”

In Hong Kong, Lama Hourani’s luxury jewellery is sold through Joyce and the website Plukka.com – as well as her own website.

Having established a solid reputation in jewellery, Hourani says her next focus is to expand the brand into other categories: homewares is an obvious first extension.