Top designers to attend WDCC in Shanghai with focus on new trends

The 2025 World Design Cities Conference, co-organized by the Shanghai government and UNESCO, will take place from September 25 to 28 with a focus on setting trends in ecological design, redefining modern lifestyles, and fostering industrial innovation.

Nearly 500 brands and over 3,000 exhibits will fill the 15,000-square-meter Shanghai main exhibition. About 20 percent of the brands are international, and 60 percent are emerging brands, indicating a focus on new perspectives. Exhibitions in Paris, Milan, and Kuala Lumpur will promote "Shanghai Design" and fashion consumer goods.

Nearly 1,000 people will attend the conference, including leaders from the International Association of Art and Design Schools, the International Society for Social Innovation and Sustainable Design, and the World Green Design Organization. Top design school heads and famous names like Jimmy Choo, Josef Kaban, and Shigeru Ban will attend. These designers will discuss cutting-edge technologies and trends in industrial, architecture, fashion, digital, and service design.

Representatives from more than 30 cities, including Dundee (UK), Como (Italy), Nagoya (Japan), Al-Ahsa (Saudi Arabia), and Chinese cities like Beijing and Shenzhen, have also confirmed their participation.

According to Zhang Ying, who is the Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Municipal Government and Director of the Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, design has become a key indicator of urban competitiveness and a powerful driver of new productive forces.

Since being designated a UNESCO Design City in 2010, Shanghai's design and creative industry has grown at a double-digit annual rate, with its annual scale exceeding 1.6 trillion yuan (US$222.22 billion) now.

A highlight of the conference will be the "Shanghai Design 100+" awards. This year's competition saw a record-high number of submissions from over 2,600 projects across 17 countries, including the US, UK, France, Italy and Brazil, showcasing how design empowers industries, enriches lives, serves cities, and shapes the future.

In a new initiative, the WDCC will also launch the "U35" program for young design talent, aimed at nurturing 35 young designers and creating a dedicated industry platform for them.

This year also marks the 15th anniversary of Shanghai's designation as a UNESCO Design City.