I-dle's Shuhua, Mika: Cos steals New York Fashion Week spotlight

What happened As New York Fashion Week’s Spring 2026 season heads into its final day tomorrow, culminating with Brooklyn design studio Agbobly’s show, Cos has emerged as an unexpected viral winner, turning celebrity front-row moments into millions of Chinese social media impressions and immediate sales conversions. Lower-tier luxury American labels are experiencing a commercial heyday, with accessible pricing becoming increasingly attractive as luxury spending cools and tariffs reshape the market. High-street brand Cos seized the moment, staging one of NYFW’s most impactful shows, and dropping its collection instantly online. The front row formula that worked From The Summer I Turned Pretty star Christopher Brinney, to Korean singer Lee Jun-young, Japanese-American po star Mika, and South Korea-based Taiwanese idol Shuhua (Yeh Shu-hua), Cos packed its front row with names that trend across Asia. The strategy paid off, driving major online buzz in China and beyond. Tapestry brands likewise made a splash across Weibo and Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote), which is unsurprising as they are shining financially in the Chinese market. Ralph Lauren sparked mentions thanks to Aespa’s Winter (Kim Min-jeong), who attended the label’s show in one of the brand’s smart-casual looks of a blouse dress with a leather belt and chainmail bag. On Tuesday last week, Coach, sponsor of Gen Z hit The Summer I Turned Pretty, showcased a collection inspired by how young consumers are “redefining personal style.” Calvin Klein built momentum under creative director Veronica Leonie, with Thai actresses Milk Pansa (Pansa Vosbein) and Tu Tontawan (Tontawan Tantivejakul) and BTS’ Jungkook in the front row driving social media engagement. Other standouts included buzzy “it-girl” brand Sandy Liang, whose playful bunny-print dresses and oversized bow details earned praise across Xiaohongshu, and American-Chinese designer Kim Shui, who delivered maximalist femininity with ruffled confections that celebrated unapologetic glamour. The Jing Take Cos is positioning itself as an elevated high street label that borrows luxury cues while maintaining accessibility. According to Cos-owner H&M Group's Q2 2025 report, the brand performed particularly strongly. This is a positive note in a quarter where the overall group experienced a decline in sales and profits. Cos expanded its footprint to 239 stores worldwide, a modest increase from 238 in 2024, even as sister brands Monki, Weekday, & Other Stories and H&M trimmed locations. At the premium end of high-street pricing, Cos fills a critical gap for quality, affordable fashion as lower and mid-tier consumers face financial pressures. Price sensitivity has intensified under the Trump administration's tariff rollout, which has put pressure on luxury business’ pricing strategies. In China, the fashion retailer has grown since establishing a retail presence in 2018 with an online launch and four flagships, one in Shanghai, Beijing, Xiamen and Guangzhou; it now operates 35 stores in the market. Million-view marketing: The Weibo effect Social engagement metrics highlight Cos’ digital impact. Its NYFW show’s hashtag (Cos2025秋冬时装秀) racked up at 1.27 million reads on Weibo as of writing, while another hashtag on the platform referencing Mika and Shuhua watching the show together generated 7,606 discussions and 1.78 million impressions. The viral power extended to micro-trends, with Shuhua’s hairstyle alone inspiring the hashtag #yeshuhualowponytail, which has reached 7.7 million reads. By making collections instantly shoppable and embracing runway-to-retail immediacy, Cos exemplifies the competitive advantages of premium high-street fashion in 2025. The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

From K-pop to instant shop: Cos wins NYFW

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From K-pop to instant shop: Cos wins NYFW