Shanghai Fashion Week 2025 showcased nearly 100 brands, blending traditional Chinese artistry with futuristic design and sustainability. The event featured bold trends like dramatic fringes, space-inspired metallics, and eco-friendly glam fur. With over 200 brands in trade shows, including international participants, it reinforced Shanghai’s role as a global fashion innovation hub
Shanghai Fashion Week 2025 has solidified its reputation as a powerful creative driver shaping global style by showcasing a stunning array of innovative collections from nearly 100 fashion brands. These range from emerging designers to major fashion groups, offering a diverse spectrum of styles from minimalist casual wear to dramatic avant-garde pieces. The event emphasizes a blend of cultural heritage, futuristic visions, and sustainability, creating a unique platform that influences fashion trends worldwide.
Among the standout trends, fringe detailing took a bold leap from mere decoration to a dramatic statement. Designers like Xu Zhi celebrated this with textured, elongated fringes that added nostalgia and movement, while Mark Gong and Samuel Guì Yang used fringes to emphasize silhouette and form. The space-age and cosmic vibe was another strong motif, with collections from labels like Weiræn and Billion Devon featuring metallic silvers, frosty whites, and bright lilac tones—blurring lines between technology, imagination, and fashion.
Glam fur, mainly faux, appeared prominently in coats, jackets, and stoles, inspired by diverse cultural influences like the Evenki ethnic group’s traditional attire. Tailored, understated collections embracing structured blazers and weatherproof outerwear conveyed what designers call "stuffy chic" with subversive twist details—reflecting urban life’s need for both style and resilience.
Explorations in sculptural down jackets highlighted creativity in outerwear, with brands like AWR and Sanqiang pushing shapes and volumes beyond conventional norms. The color palette leaned towards “mysterious earth” tones, where labels like Hemu and Oude Waag drew on ancient oriental traditions or bold modern cuts to redefine how these hues express mood and identity.
Many renowned brands and creatives attended, such as Xu Zhi, Mark Gong, Samuel Guì Yang, Weiræn, Billion Devon, RuirUirul, NMTG, Private Policy, Ao Yes, WMWM, AWR, Sanqiang, Jarelzhang, Hemu, and Oude Waag. This mix reflected Shanghai Fashion Week’s role as a meeting ground for established names and fresh talents making waves locally and internationally.
Shanghai Fashion Week's creative vision extends beyond runway styles. Its integration of traditional Chinese aesthetics with cutting-edge technology and sustainable practices has increased its influence on global fashion markets. The fashion week fosters cross-cultural exchanges and showcases eco-conscious design, aligning with shifting consumer priorities for sustainability.
The event’s vibrant street style scene also illustrates the melding of individual expression with broader cultural trends, making the city itself a living runway. This dynamism, coupled with digital innovations such as AI and social media engagement, solidifies Shanghai Fashion Week’s position as a key driver in the evolution of global fashion identity.
Overall, Shanghai Fashion Week 2025 exemplifies a fusion of heritage, futuristic imagination, and sustainability that defines the evolving landscape of global style. Through its eclectic brand presence and groundbreaking trends, it continues to influence fashion far beyond China’s borders, serving as a vital hub for creativity and innovation in the industry.
Sources:
- FashionUnited report on AW25 trends and attending brandsfashionunited
- HROne 2023 overview of Shanghai Fashion Week creativity and global impacthrone
