Shanghai Fashion Week FW26: A Market in Transition

Shanghai Fashion Week FW26 closed with Glenn Martens’ Maison Margiela show, a moment that underscored both the designer’s growing resonance in China and the broader transformation underway across the market. Despite a fragile macroeconomic backdrop, the mood was notably constructive, indicating a shift from reactive rebound to a phase of consolidation.

The End of “Clean Fit” and the Return of Refined Femininity

After seasons dominated by “clean fit” minimalism, FW26 marks a clear shift towards refinement, emotional expression, and cultural specificity. The rise of “clean fit” in China was influenced by economic caution and global luxury’s “quiet” codes, but that uniformity is waning.

A Desire for Expressiveness

Ontimeshow’s founder Yeli Gu observed a growing appetite for expressiveness, with femininity, romanticism, and emotional texture returning to the forefront of design. Marine Humeau, merchandising manager at Printemps, echoed this sentiment, noting a desire for authenticity and a move away from understated luxury.

Chinese designers like Susan Fang and Mark Gong are layering restraint with emotion, craft, and narrative. Susan Fang’s Air Infinity show showcased delicate structures and intricate textiles, while Markgong blended sensuality, tailoring, and pop-cultural references.

Evolution, Not Rejection

SND’s Will Zhang suggests it’s not the end of “Clean Fit” but its evolution. He notes the continued influence of minimalist references like Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s wardrobe, with designers adding complexity while maintaining a balance between commercial clarity and expressive intent.

Buying for the Long Term, Selling in Real Time

This season saw buyers approach the market with clearer intent, focusing on brand consistency and long-term potential. MODE Shanghai Fashion Trade Show reported increased purposeful ordering and higher conversion rates.

A Shift in Pricing

Around 64% of orders were placed above RMB 1,000, with the RMB 1,000–3,000 range accounting for nearly half the total, indicating a more balanced market. Brands are also converting runway attention into sales faster, with labels like Xi Xiang Jin and Northbutsouth utilizing Taobao’s “Super Fashion Release.”

Livestreams during the week generated over RMB 20 million in sales, with a runway dress priced above RMB 6,000 selling over 100 pieces within minutes. Shanghai Fashion Week aims to help brands move from visibility to sales and sustained growth.

China Chic in Transition

“China Chic,” which peaked in the early 2020s, is entering a more complex phase. While cultural identity remains important, designers are moving beyond literal expressions of heritage.

Nuance and Subtlety

Designers like Feng Chen Wang and Shuting Qiu continue to draw from Chinese contexts, but absorb these references into their work through material choices, tailoring, and proportion. Samuel Gui Yang anticipated this shift, building a language through restraint and understated elegance.

“China Chic” is becoming more diffused, representing individual perspectives shaped by shared cultural conditions rather than a unified aesthetic.

The Rise of the System-Building Designer

Shanghai Fashion Week highlighted a broader structural shift in the global fashion system, with the role of the designer evolving from seasonal collection-maker to creative director of a brand system. This parallels a trend in the West, driven by creative reshuffles at major luxury houses.

The inaugural New Wave Fashion Awards, initiated by the Shanghai Fashion Designers Association, aims to assess designers’ capacity to construct recognizable and scalable brand universes, emphasizing creative direction as an early benchmark.