LuxuryMart09, an annual luxury business-to-business event will be held in Shanghai next Thursday (January 15th) and is set to welcome over 50 of the world’s top luxury brands including Bentley, Princess Yachts, Cartier, Bank of China and Relais & Chateaux.

The premier event for luxury brands targeting China’s fast-growing affluent sector, is now in its third year and is the leading annual platform for brands to exchange ideas and collaborate on marketing products and services for high-end Chinese consumers.

China is the world’s fastest-growing market for luxury brands, expected to rank second only to Japan by 2015.

LuxuryMart09, the premier event for luxury brands targeting China’s fast-growing affluent population, is to be held in Shanghai on January 15th 2009.

Now in its third year, LuxuryMart09 is expecting to welcome around 250 senior executives from 120 top brands to attend the prestigious B2B matchmaking event at the Pudong Shangri-La.

The “luxury brand summit” is the leading annual platform for brands to exchange ideas and collaborate on marketing products and services for high-end Chinese consumers.

China is the world’s fastest-growing market for luxury brands, expected to rank second only to Japan by 2015. The country’s “Rich List” includes 1,000 individuals with more than RMB 0.7 billion (USD 1 billion) each in assets and 800,000 millionaires.

Construction projects are grinding to a halt as financing runs dry elsewhere in the world, but in China’s biggest city, they’re still going strong.

Today, Shanghai is scheduled to officially begin work on what will become its tallest skyscraper — a 2,073-foot building in the city’s Lujiazui financial center that will tower over the current highest building, the recently completed 1,614-foot Shanghai World Financial Center.

Though China’s economy is slowing and exporters are feeling the pinch, the sinuous glass building, to be called the Shanghai Tower, is one of a slew of government-funded projects that authorities are using to stimulate growth and create jobs.

Two visionary hotel concepts, Zendai Hotel Yin - an ultra luxury, boutique-style “city retreat” and Zendai Art Hotel – a 5-star business hotel, will open in Shanghai’s latest architectural masterpiece, the ‘Himalayas Centre’ which is due to open in Pudong in spring 2010, in time for the Shanghai World Expo.

The Himalayas Centre is located opposite to Shanghai’s New International Expo Centre and just 15 minutes from the city’s main financial district in Pudong.

Behind the design of the mixed-use development, located opposite the New International Expo Centre, is Arata Isozaki, renowned for his work on the Barcelona Olympics Stadium and Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art

Designed by one of the world’s leading architects, Arata Isozaki who is renowned for his work on the Barcelona Olympics Stadium and the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art, the Himalayas Centre is being hailed by developers, the Zendai Group, as an “archisculptural icon for 21st century China”.

The Himalayas Centre will incorporate the Daguan Theatre with multi-functional auditorium seating 1,600, the Himalayas Mall and Himalayas Creative Complex / Museum Zone, as well as the two luxury hotels.

As we reported two weeks ago, the highly anticipated KEE Shanghai – the first overseas branch of the famous Hong Kong private members club that counts celebrities and royalty among its habituees - has now opened its doors to Shanghai society.

Elegantly located behind the grand stone entrance and cast iron gates of 796 Huai Hai Rd, past a beautifully cultivated garden, KEE Shanghai discreetly resides in the striking 1920s heritage maison Twin Villas.

A location it shares with the Richemont Shanghai headquarters, sitting above the flagship stores for China of distinguished brands such as Alfred Dunhill and Vacheron Constantin.

The Super Sense Spa, designed by architecture and design studio KUU, a 3-level spa in Shanghai completed in late 2007.

An additional floor in steel was added and the staircase leading up lands at several platforms which are for the spa’s complementary purposes such as consultation, beauty treatment, manicure or pedicure.

I am amazed at the way the designer play with the form and function of the wall that creates lighting, niches and even form spaces. Absolutely uplifting and delightful !