Longchamp (珑骧) has capitalised on the festive season by bringing an ice rink to Shanghai’s Bund (外滩) – a high-end bit of waterfront district, and arguably the most glamourous part of town. Running through late December, the French brand’s ‘Cocooning on Ice’ pop-up combines a public skating rink, winter market and new-season product showcase into a single, open-air installation. The format is deliberately informal, positioning Longchamp in a shared urban space rather than behind boutique doors.
The rink anchors the experience. Visitors can rent skates, use beginner aids and join on-ice sessions led by Olympic short-track skater Wu Dajing and figure skater Zhu Yi, who have appeared as guest coaches. Their demonstrations turn the rink into a live performance zone – part sport, part spectacle – and provide ready-made social content in one of Shanghai’s most photographed locations.
Product is present but understated. Pieces from Longchamp’s upcoming 2026 collection are introduced around the rink, styled into the environment rather than isolated in retail displays.
The Longchamp ice rink also has a small winter market of wooden cabins offering hot drinks, gingerbread and festive snacks, alongside craft workshops and photography zones. The emphasis is on dwell time and participation, blurring the line between brand activation and seasonal public amenity.
On Chinese social media, the focus has been on the experience rather than the merchandise. Posts on Rednote and Instagram show skating clips, crowd scenes and atmosphere, with influencer content documenting queues, peak hours and choreographed sessions. Again, Longchamp’s handbags are present, but rarely the headline.
So what’s really happening here? Cocooning on Ice builds on a run of scene-led activations from Longchamp this year. In spring, the brand transformed Shanghai’s Zhongshan Park into a pastoral Longchamp Garden, replacing retail cues with planting beds, workshops and picnic-style pauses.
The throughline is clear. Longchamp is treating the city as its stage, rotating seasonal worlds – garden, rink, market – that prioritise atmosphere and participation over hard selling. Product enters later, almost incidentally. Longchamp is moving like a lifestyle brand. In a market that’s asking more from luxury or near-luxury products, especially foreign ones, the bet is that lived-in moments travel further than logos.
