Wang Anyu, Mark Gong: Shanghai fashion week Spring 2026

Shanghai Fashion Week (SHFW) has carved out a place as one of the global calendar’s most influential fashion gatherings, yet its sprawling nature makes it challenging to digest. Beyond runways, showrooms, and presentations, SHFW’s Mode Exhibition alone spans 60,000 sqm (the equivalent of 15 soccer fields). It hosts nearly 1,000 fashion, fragrance, and lifestyle brands. This year, half of those exhibitors came from overseas, a testament to the event’s growing international magnetism. “The overall scale of participating brands at Shanghai Fashion Week, their stage of commercial development, and the richness of Shanghai’s fashion retail market all exceeded our expectations,” says David Dessureault, general manager of business development for Chalhoub Group, visiting from Dubai for the first time. On Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote), the event’s hashtag “ShanghaiFashionWeek” has amassed 269.6 million reads, illustrating the extraordinary social reach of China’s premier fashion moment. Across the city, events unfolded from October 9 to 16, from the trade show floors of the Mode Exhibition to designer showcases, brand activations, and both international and national showrooms. Local designers signal market strength Still, amid the high-octane energy, a plethora of cultish Chinese designers stole the spotlight. Despite established names like Caroline Hu and Susan Fang now showing in Paris and London, homegrown talents continue to assert China’s experimental design prestige. Celebrated Shanghainese independent designer Jacques Wei presented a 1980s-inspired collection bridging Eastern and Western aesthetics, while equally popular Mark Gong showcased a punkish catwalk of contemporary cowgirls. Local luxury brands such as Xuzhi, Hidemi, and Hemu also hosted runways. From the overt femininity of Shushu/Tong and Fordare, to the traditional Chinese sartorial inspiration behind Ao Yes and Samuel Gui Yang, highlights have emerged on Xiaohongshu. Steering away from Paris Fashion Week where she has shown for the past few seasons, Rui’s sex-positive eponymous label Ruibuilt came to experimental platform E.Scape in Shanghai for Spring 2026. 8ON8’s show was another standout. Marking the upcoming Year of the Horse, the brand collaborated with American outdoor footwear company Keen on a limited-edition reinterpretation of the Jasper shoe, offered in Rose Pink and Bishan Green suede with Pegasus motifs and tasseled heels inspired by a horse’s tail. On each seat lay a vinyl record; its cover art depicting a pensive ape under a white airship inscribed “Good 8ON8 Year.” SHFW’s support for emerging talent is also of note. “This year, we officially launched the SFDA Creative Talent Initiative, which brings together the Youtopia competition for emerging designers and the New Wave Fashion Awards for more established creatives,” says Madame LV (Lv Xiaolei), secretary-general of the Shanghai Fashion Week Organizing Committee and executive vice chairman of the Shanghai Fashion Designers Association. “Together, they form a progressive and structured talent development system — one that continuously nurtures and supports creative forces for the future of China’s fashion industry.” Western players proliferate While local designers set the creative tone, global brands are increasingly viewing the Shanghai five-day event as an unmissable commercial opportunity. Following the blockbuster activations of Moncler Genius and Vivienne Westwood in October 2024, global players like H&M and Adidas brought international press and celebrities to the niche fashion week. For Spring 2026, H&M staged its first runway show in China, unveiling a new designer collaboration series that built on the success of last year’s Garçon by Garçon capsule. Adidas also made headlines with its celebrity-studded event featuring Edison Chen, Li Xian, Ouyang Nana, Wang Anyu, Jin Chen, He Cong, and Yang Yingge. Referencing SHFW, the #PowerofThree campaign gathered 441,900 views on Xiaohongshu at the time of writing this. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz partnered with Chinese designers to present an immersive art installation alongside the global debut of the Vision Iconic concept car, bringing automotive luxury and design into creative dialogue. “Besides European and American brands, we’ve continued to see strong participation and support from brands across Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia, which has brought more diverse perspectives and international energy to Shanghai Fashion Week,” says Madame LV. As Asian buyers from Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, and Dubai become more engaged, Shanghai’s role as a regional fashion hub is strengthening. The result is a fashion week that’s not just growing in significance, yet there is a stark difference in structure to Europe’s big four. If Spring 2026 proved anything, it’s that Shanghai is crafting its own version of what fashion week looks like with a trade mindset, booming inclusivity, and public accessibility. It’s an exuberant festival of fashion, though one that might benefit from tighter curation to strengthen its global prestige.

What defined Shanghai Fashion Week Spring 2026

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What defined Shanghai Fashion Week Spring 2026