The Spring-Summer 2027 edition of Shanghai Fashion Week kicked off on October 8. Serving as a flagship event for the "Shanghai Summer" International Consumption Season, the week was organized to feature nearly one hundred debut runway shows, close to a thousand new brand exhibitions, and a series of launch events. By linking fashion shows, trade fairs, industry exchanges, and urban consumption, the event aimed to concentrate global creativity, industry resources, and market forces within the metropolis. Historically the birthplace of the modern qipao and often referred to as the "Paris of the East," Shanghai has long welcomed diverse styles, with residents drawing inspiration from the landscape, cityscape, and international influences.
A defining theme of this season was the contemporary reinterpretation of Chinese cultural heritage and craftsmanship. The opening show by local original brand HEMU, themed "Silk Road," drew on the cultural heritage of Dunhuang and utilized traditional techniques such as Yun brocade, Song brocade, and Su embroidery. Similarly, the Oriental Neo Chinese Style-Show Exhibition ran from October 11 to 13 at the Shanghai History Museum under the theme "Living Heritage." Showcasing a fusion of ancient traditions and contemporary avant-garde fashion, the event featured an immersive exhibition of Eastern aesthetics, pairing leading Chinese-style fashion brands with interactive workshops on intangible cultural heritage. Landon Du, the project director for Shanghai Fashion Week, explained to CNN that while Chinese designers who graduated from Western schools previously tended to follow trends, they have developed a stronger brand identity over the past decade by incorporating Chinese elements and personal expression into their collections.
Beyond the runways, the fashion scene in Shanghai feels young, interconnected, and unusually close to the people who actually buy the clothes. Designers in the city are particularly conscious of the market, and because designers and customers belong to the same young community, their relationship is less hierarchical. At Labelhood, an independent platform that serves as one of the week’s showcases for emerging talent, the distinction between industry insiders and the public is porous; an initial presentation for an audience of editors and buyers is followed by a second show for everyone else. Street style and attendee outfits also reflected the city's bold and personal fashion choices. For instance, 30-year-old influencer Abigail Man—recognizable by a striking bob reminiscent of the Japanese anime character Paprika—attended Samuel Guì Yang’s show in a loose-fitting poppy-motif tunic, and later waited for Mark Gong’s show wearing a sheer, lacy, high-necked top and leopard-print jeans from Gong's eponymous brand.
Individual presentations throughout the week highlighted both cultural roots and varied creative formats. Samuel Guì Yang presented a collection inspired by the 1990s Hong Kong film "Green Snake" starring Maggie Cheung, as well as a tide painting by Southern Song dynasty artist Ma Yuan, using snakeskin patterns and flowing fabrics to explore fluidity. At the Xintiandi venue, Shuting Qiu debuted a colorful and textured Spring-Summer 2027 collection, while Mark Gong—whose designs have been worn by Rihanna, Charli XCX, and Jennie—staged a romantic show with bouncing skirts. Meanwhile, designer duo Kong Yue and Xie Yonghao of Osschaert eschewed a traditional runway in favor of a theatrical performance about memory and loss set in a dream-like forest workshop. The week also included a high-energy, multi-act Adidas show at the ROJO Art Space featuring singer Veegee, a tennis court, and looks from the Y-3 line and the adidas Originals Neo-Chinese collection, before concluding with Shushu/Tong's "Darling Melancholy" closing runway.