Catwalk Trends & More: Get Ready for Shanghai Fashion Week

Shanghai Fashion Week will return on March 25 with more than 100 runway shows and over 1,000 brands participating across the city, underscoring how the event has grown into one of Asia's most important fashion industry platforms.

But beyond the catwalks, this season's schedule reveals a broader shift taking place in China's fashion landscape: local designer brands are becoming more systematized, international labels are increasingly using Shanghai as a launchpad for Asia, and fashion week itself is evolving from a trade event into a citywide consumer experience.

The main runway in Xintiandi will once again serve as the center of the week's show calendar. The opening show will be presented by Shanghai-based brand HPLY, while the closing runway will feature EP YAYING, a Chinese heritage fashion house known for reinterpretations of traditional aesthetics.

The lineup highlights how Chinese designer brands have moved from niche labels to core players in the domestic fashion market. Designers, including Feng Chen Wang, 8ON8, Short Sentence, XUZHI, SUSAN FANG and JACQUES WEI, will present collections this season.

For London-based designer Wang Fengchen, whose brand Feng Chen Wang marks its 10th anniversary this year, returning to Shanghai Fashion Week carries symbolic weight.

"Design has the power to drive the economy, shape culture and connect people across borders," Wang said. "For our brand, presenting our 10th anniversary show at Shanghai Fashion Week carries special meaning. The city is where our studio and team are based, so this moment feels like a return home – a reflection on the past decade and a starting point for what comes next."

Other designers are increasingly drawing on Chinese cultural narratives, reflecting a broader trend toward integrating heritage elements with contemporary design.

Label HEMU, for example, will present a collection inspired by the culture of the ancient Chu kingdom, continuing its ongoing exploration of Chinese historical themes through modern fashion.

While runway presentations attract attention, much of the industry's commercial activity will take place at the MODE Shanghai Fashion Trade Show, opening on March 25 in Changning District.

The trade event connects designers with buyers, retailers and distributors, forming the commercial backbone of the fashion week ecosystem. The exhibition will include dozens of showrooms and attract international buyers from retailers such as Antonioli and Paris department store Printemps.

Alongside the trade show, the M SPACE forum will bring together industry executives and designers to discuss long-term brand strategy and sustainability issues.

Topics this season include circular fashion, sustainable materials and how emerging Chinese labels can scale their businesses internationally.

Over the years, Shanghai Fashion Week has expanded well beyond industry insiders.

Public events such as Shanghai Fashion Weekend, scheduled for April 6 at Yongyuan Road Neighborhood, aim to bring fashion closer to consumers through street installations, influencer events and trend showcases.

The broader program also includes retail promotions, pop-up exhibitions and design markets across Shanghai, part of an effort to turn the event into a citywide consumption festival.

"We hope Shanghai Fashion Week will further boost the city's bespoke fashion services and create new destinations for fashion consumption," said Liu Min, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce.

One of the season's biggest international highlights will come from Maison Margiela, which will stage the global debut of its Autumn/Winter 2026 collection in Shanghai on April 1.

The show will be followed by a couture exhibition, running from April 2 to April 6 and featuring archival pieces alongside new creations.

International participation more broadly continues to grow. Designers from Vietnam, South Korea, Europe and the United States are scheduled to present collections during the week.

Another initiative debuting this season is the New Wave Fashion Awards. Six finalists will present immersive installations across the city's landmarks, ranging from shopping malls to historic buildings. The projects will be evaluated by an international jury composed of fashion critics, brand founders and retail experts.

"Today's designers must do more than create garments," said Cui Dan, one of the organizers. "They need to build brand narratives, understand space and experience, and connect creativity with the market."

The winner will be announced on March 30.

Now entering its third decade, Shanghai Fashion Week has gradually evolved from a domestic showcase into a platform linking designers, retailers and global brands, and also becoming a barometer of Shanghai's broader consumer economy.

"The fashion week has become a window to observe the vitality of the city and the transformation of the fashion industry," said Ji Shengjun, head of the organizing committee. "It is a way to see the growth of design, the recovery of consumer confidence and the evolution of the city's commercial landscape."