Raphael le Masne de Chermont, executive chairman of Shanghai Tang, says he hopes Borriello will "take the brand to the next level of sophistication and fashion".
"We need to inject some true international flair into the brand ... People might think that we make only traditional qipao, but that's not what we do. We want to show people who we are today," he says.
"Shanghai Tang, for many years, was very touristy as it targeted a Western audience. But today, it is truly a fashion brand that is based in China and sells to the global market."
Founded in Hong Kong in 1994, Shanghai Tang is now owned by Swiss luxury giant Richemont.
In its early days, most of its customers were Westerners. But now, about 60 percent of its clientele is Chinese.
"The designs (in the early days) were a bit cliched with dragons everywhere," says Le Masne de Chermont.
He joined the brand in 2002 and quickly began to transform it into a Chinese lifestyle brand with an international outlook.
