Shanghai Fashion Week has unveiled the lineup for its upcoming season with a bumper array of Chinese and international talent, including displays by Maison Margiela, Adidas, and Vera Wang.
The season kicks off on Wednesday, March 25 under the theme Design Ahead, Fashion Ascends, with the goal of highlighting the step-by-step evolution of Chinese fashion as well as design’s role as a core driver of industrial growth.
As the closing highlight of the season, Maison Margiela will stage the global debut of its Autumn/Winter 2026 collection on April 1. From April 2 to 6, Maison Margiela will also present Artisanal, one of the events from the MaisonMargiela/folders Special Project Exhibition series.
Boasting refreshed show-spaces, the season’s nerve-centre Xintiandi Main Tent will host leading Chinese brands. HPLY will present the opening show, while EP Yaying will stage the closing runway event. Beyond the catwalk, EP Yaying will also preview its Autumn/Winter 2026 collection to global buyers at Mode Shanghai Fashion Trade Show and host the “A Kaleidoscope of Silk” art exhibition, open to the public during the fashion week period.
Chinese independent designers remain a defining force in the Shanghai Fashion Week calendar. This season, the Main Tent will feature influential labels including Feng Chen Wang, Short Sentence, 8ON8, Jacques Wei, Comme Moi, Xuzhi, and Susan Fang, presenting a concentrated showcase of contemporary Chinese creativity.
Emerging voices such as J Rureminds, Shetells, Lacerta, Tipsy Vision, Lfax, and Northbutsouth will further diversify the runway with distinct aesthetic perspectives. Meanwhile, brands including Hemu, Suncun, Qixiangjin, and Awaylee continue to reinterpret traditional Chinese culture through modern design language, while performance-oriented labels such as Aura Fenggy and Moution integrate technical innovation with fashion expression, Shanghai Fashion Week said in a release.
Across the city, the official runway ecosystem continues to expand. Labelhood will take place on Yongyuan Rd in Jing’an District, showcasing emerging design talents including Oude Waag, WMWM, Garcon by Gcogcn, Ao Yes, Yirantian, Markgong, and Shushu/Tong. The Glam showcase will return to New Bund 31 with its signature bridal and eveningwear presentations, while Kids Wear will once again take place at Jing An 800 Show.
The Xintiandi runway will also welcome a growing number of international participants this season. Emerging Asian labels including LSoul and White Ant from Vietnam, as well as YCH from South Korea, will appear alongside global brands such as Stivanano (Italy), Marie Elie Paris (France), Maison Amory Rin Label (US) and Only (Denmark), all seeking new growth opportunities through the Shanghai platform. Marking its 10th anniversary, Korean independent designer brand Amomento will present its Autumn/Winter 2026 collection at Shangxianfang in the Huaihai Road commercial district, reinterpreting Western tailoring and classic sartorial details through the lens of Eastern aesthetics.
Beyond the runway, brands are expanding their creative expressions through diverse formats. Adidas Originals Open Haus, will open from March 26 to 29 on Yong Fu Road, spotlighting the ‘Anfu’ and ‘Changle’ low-profile footwear concepts developed by the Adidas Shanghai Creative Center, alongside the brand’s design archives and upcoming releases.
The Fabrique x Vera Wang exclusive collaborative collection Very Vera · Very Mewill be presented through a limited-time pop-up at HKRI Taikoo Hui from March 26 to April 8. The Apple 50th Anniversary Special Showcase will also take place during Shanghai Fashion Week, celebrating five decades of visionary thinking and pioneering innovation.
Mercedes-Benz once again returns as the official designated partner of Shanghai Fashion Week. The collaboration coincides with several important milestones for the brand—the 140th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz, 30 years of involvement in fashion, and 40 years in the Chinese market. To celebrate the occasion, Mercedes-Benz will launch a special pop-up Crush On Wings- Mercedes-Benz x AW2026 SHFW, creating a dialogue between automotive design and fashion across time and disciplines.
The inaugural New Wave Fashion Awards, organized by the Shanghai Fashion Designers Association, will launch its final competition during the Shanghai season. Six finalist designers will create independent creative spaces across major city landmarks- including Xintiandi Style II, House of H&M, K11 Art Mall, Somekh Building, Gibb, Livingston & Co. Building and Film Park. Through multidimensional expression encompassing product design, aesthetics, spatial design, narrative, and brand structure, the finalists will present fully realized creative systems to both an international professional jury and a public jury. The final winners will be announced at the award ceremony on March 30.
The Shanghai Fashion Week ordering ecosystem, formed by Mode, OnTimeShow, Notes Shanghai, Tube Showroom, not Showroom, Tudoo Showroom, Lab Showroom, Blooming Showroom, and The Cool Hunter Showroom, will once again create a citywide commercial network connecting domestic and international markets.
As the core platform supporting Shanghai Fashion Week’s ambition to build “Asia’s largest ordering season,” the Autumn/Winter 2026 Mode Shanghai Fashion Trade Show will open on March 25 at Crystal Bridge in Changning District, Shanghai. This season, MODE continues to strengthen its role as a platform for brand showcases, business matchmaking, and industry dialogue. The exhibition’s signature Ulio Sustainability Space will collaborate with Sorona® bio-based materials and the debut of Abacell natural banana fiber yarn, alongside nine designer brands focused on sustainability. Together they will present four thematic units exploring material innovation, structural experimentation, cultural expression, and regenerative practices, expanding the possibilities of material use in contemporary fashion design.
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