In Vogue on Vintage Street

Once Taipei’s busiest commercial district and cultural hub, Dadaocheng’s revitalization over the past two decades continues as funky shops, cafés, and art spaces thrive alongside traditional businesses. Today, even big-name Western brands are popping up in the area’s charming restored shophouses, offering shoppers a different type of experience compared to their usual luxury mall settings.

Dadaocheng’s rise began in the 1860s as a bustling trading center for tea and textiles. Even then, Western companies exporting goods overseas thrived in the area. As the wealth poured in, the characteristic narrow shophouses blending Eastern and Western designs came up; these well-preserved, restored structures give Dadaocheng its unique, vintage allure. The district’s fortunes declined after World War II and Taipei’s commercial center shifted eastward, but in recent decades Dadaocheng has been revived as an atmospheric haunt where chic boutiques, cafés, bars, galleries, and other cultural institutions flourish alongside long-established businesses selling dried goods, tea, textiles, and herbal medicines. What has developed is more than a straight-up dichotomy of tradition and modernity, as hip establishments draw much inspiration from their historic surroundings, while old-time shops reinvent themselves to appeal to trend-conscious visitors. This eclectic blend of the past and present has attracted countless tourists, who can be seen strolling through the picturesque streets.

Le Labo

The raw, industrial-chic aesthetics and antique furnishings of Le Labo feel right at home in a century-old concrete shophouse with wooden trims on the northern end of Dihua Street. Even though the wabi-sabi decor is mostly imported, it feels as if the operation has always been in this building, especially due to Dadaocheng’s inherent Western sensibilities. At the back of the store, a window offers a glimpse into a verdant courtyard, adding to the serene, homely feel Le Labo hopes to convey.

In 2023, the New York-based Le Labo was the first international fragrance brand to enter Dadaocheng, setting up its signature “fragrance lab” as a place of connection and exploration. Here, technicians hand-blend and label creations on site and to order, exemplifying the craft of “slow perfumery,” while affable staff called “souls” guide customers while encouraging them to explore and peruse at their own pace.

Le Labo also offers an array of fragrant cosmetic and skin care products for those who don’t use perfumes. One highlight is the men’s grooming series, displayed above a stylishly worn-out sink reminiscent of 1920s American barbershops. The slick, monochrome packaging also harks back to that era, with faux glass bottles and tube roller keys.

The pocket-size, multi-purpose balm contains hints of lavender, tonka beans, and citrus, and can be applied to any dry skin at any time. The aftershave, infused with soothing chamomile, beard oil, and an all-in-one cleanser, is also a popular gift item. As far as fragrances, the store highlights the Encens 9 with frankincense as the main ingredient, enhanced with amber and cloves. Another is the Tonka 25, which uses tonka beans with cinnamon and vanilla. Both are warm and earthy, evoking memories of drinking mulled wine during the holiday season, and containing woody undertones that fit the furnishings of the store. It’s as if you opened a wooden drawer full of spices, a “soul” explains.

LE LABO
Add: No. 199, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Datong District, Taipei City
(台北市大同區迪化街一段199號)

Jo Malone London

Built in 1892 by the notable Lin family of Banqiao (now a district in New Taipei City), this stately two-story fusion structure on a prominent corner of Dihua Street is hard to miss, especially because it bears the Jo Malone London signage.

Opened in July 2024, this shop stands out as Jo Malone London’s first streetside concept store in Taiwan – other branches are located in luxury department stores. With this new location, the company hopes to offer a different experience by presenting the elegant lifestyle aesthetics of London in one of Taipei’s most traditional areas, creating a “British garden” that preserves elements of the local past. This store attracts more spontaneous shoppers who happen to pass by while strolling down Dihua Street, and the spacious second floor is conducive for casual browsing and exploration.

Great attention has been given to the interior furnishings to retain the historic structure’s original flavor. The dark cypress shelves, put together using traditional mortise and tenon joints without any nails or screws, are accentuated with local Guanyin stone flourishes, matching perfectly the original terrazzo floors, wood staircase, and subtly ornamental white ceilings. The second floor features jute drapings sourced from shops in the neighborhood with the store logo printed on them. Plus, shoppers get to take home an exclusive gift box featuring an illustration of the building and Dadaocheng during the annual summer fireworks season. Customers can also have any image of their choice printed on the drawstring bag containing their purchases.

If you desire a truly distinctive fragrance, a fragrance expert can guide you through a blending experience, helping you create a unique personal scent. Couples may also choose to blend their favorite individual notes, symbolizing and enhancing their shared sweetness.

One featured product is the 2007 limited edition White Jasmine and Mint Cologne, which is part of Jo Malone’s Archive Collection that temporarily revives discontinued fragrances. It is only available in Dadaocheng and at the flagship store inside Taipei 101 and evokes feelings of drinking mint tea on a London morning, with the sun peeking out after the rain falls on jasmine flowers in the garden.

Jo Malone London
Add: No. 251, Nanjing W. Rd., Datong District, Taipei City
(台北市大同區南京西路251號)

M·A·C COSMETICS

Famous for its bold, splashy colors and avant-garde spirit, it is perhaps another daring move for MAC cosmetics to move into a neighborhood that emphasizes its heritage. But as they say, “the more local, the more international.”

They’ve certainly made it work since opening in February 2025, choosing a relatively minimalistic concrete façade to go with their black and white logo and straightforward aesthetic. The 107-year-old building’s simple signage from when it was the Yizhen Commerce Association remains and doesn’t feel out of place.

Visitors are immediately greeted by an eye-catching red display wall bearing the store name, alluding to both Dadaocheng’s famous Lunar New Year market and the brand’s iconic Ruby Woo lipstick. The interior feels like a quintessential MAC store at first glance, but the Dadaocheng elements emerge soon, from the terrazzo floors and wood beam ceilings to the walls featuring Qilian stone mined in Taipei’s Beitou area. The tables and cabinets are faux vintage, but look closely as they incorporate parts of the building’s original furniture.

This store is considered the world’s first MAC “gift concept shop,” with an entire section devoted to customizing one’s purchase as a one-of-a-kind gift. In addition to the array of ribbons, boxes, and lining paper, customers can add exclusive tags and stickers that represent different aspects of Dadaocheng, including tea, textiles, lanterns, fireworks, red-turtle glutinous cakes, classic Taiwanese decorative tiles, and more. They can even be printed small on the lipstick tube.

Behind the store is the building’s atrium, which is surprisingly quiet compared to the bustle out front. Visitors can take a breather here or pose for pictures with the popular lantern installation, and step back in time by the red brick walls, which were a sign of luxury a century ago.

M·A·C COSMETICS
Add: No. 121, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Datong District, Taipei City
(台北市大同區迪化街一段121號)

English and Chinese
Banqiao | 板橋
Beitou | 北投
Dadaocheng | 大稻埕
Dihua Street | 迪化街
Yizhen Commerce Association | 義珍商會