Fashion’s new stage in the Chinese Mainland

For decades, the Chinese Mainland’s place in the global fashion system was conceived largely in terms of consumer appetite for Western brands. Today, key developments are unfolding within China’s fashion industry infrastructure, design trends and international collaborations, transforming the country into a new centre of influence for the fashion world.  

Emergence of a new design generation  

“A lot has changed,” says Gemma A Williams, a fashion writer, curator and author of Fashion China . She notes that Chinese designers are now being welcomed into spaces that were traditionally less accessible to them: international fashion weeks, retailers, creative communities, global social platforms and major brand collaborations. 

Independent names like Feng Chen Wang and Susan Fang have become personalities in their own right, Williams adds. Feng Chen Wang marked her label’s tenth anniversary in Shanghai before unveiling a long-term Under Armour partnership in Paris in June 2026. Susan Fang, meanwhile, has expanded her ethereal design language through projects with Nike, Melissa and Rockfish. Beyond individual designers, Williams also points to Urban Revivo and ICICLE opening stores overseas, Songmont raising its profile through events in Paris, and other Chinese designers opening for business in the French capital. 

Breaking into the global zeitgeist

Within the fashion industry itself and among certain younger demographics, Williams believes that Chinese designers are increasingly viewed on equal terms with their international contemporaries, if not ahead of them. But more widely, Chinese fashion is still often treated as an emerging phenomenon. There’s still room for more representation of Chinese creatives at major global fashion houses, yet Chinese design continues to gain international recognition, with designers and brands steadily building their presence on the global stage. 

The routes to global relevance are indeed changing. Fashion’s traditional gatekeepers may still shape how the industry encounters new talent, but social media has weakened some of those hierarchies. “Social media has been instrumental in challenging these systems and offering new pathways for designers from less-known backgrounds,”  Williams explains. “Chinese designers are incredibly innovative and will always be at the forefront of finding new ways to connect with consumers.” 

This growing visibility ties into a broader international recognition of Chinese creative talent and consumer culture, from C-beauty to collectable toys, which Williams believes has created a more receptive environment for Chinese fashion. 

International houses are taking notice too, and increasingly choosing China as a main stage to showcase their global image. Moncler transformed a Shanghai shipyard into a 30,000-square-metre creative district in 2024, and this April, Maison Margiela staged its first show outside Paris during Shanghai Fashion Week. "Without doubt, China is becoming an exciting hub of activations for luxury brands," Williams says. 

Local challenges, global opportunities 

This wave of creative investment arrives amid an economic slowdown. Bain & Company estimates China’s personal luxury market contracted by 3 to 5 per cent in 2025, with leather goods impacted significantly by repeated price rises and limited product innovation. Yet, in some ways, the slowdown has given local brands room to define their own forms of luxury. Laopu Gold has built its identity around 24-karat jewellery and traditional goldsmithing, while Songmont has found a growing audience for quieter leather goods shaped by Chinese craftsmanship and storytelling. 

The popularity of these brands is often explained as part of the guochao (national tide) trend – a growing preference in China for homegrown products. But Yaling Jiang, founder of consultancy ApertureChina and the newsletter Following the Yuan, argues that while the term provides context, it doesn’t fully explain these brands’ appeal. “Both Laopu Gold and Songmont have cultivated a much deeper cultural relevance and connection with Chinese consumers,” she says.  

That relevance, Jiang adds, extends beyond the familiar localisation devices sometimes adopted by international brands, such as Chinese ambassadors, red-coloured campaigns or Chinese typography. Instead, their products frequently revive techniques and aesthetics that had faded from cultural memory.  

In this sense, these new brands are achieving the goal of all the world’s best designers – what Christian Dior called fashion’s “constant renaissance”. This organic energy is precisely why China is becoming the ground where global fashion is staged, interpreted and, increasingly, authored.

Chinese designers to keep on your radar

Yueqi Qi

Known for intricate beadwork and futuristic silhouettes, Yueqi Qi brings couture-level craft into pop culture. 

Susan Fang

Working across London and Shanghai, Susan Fang builds dreamlike collections around nature, colour and material experimentation. 

Rui Zhou

Rui Zhou’s label RUI is recognised for its second-skin knitwear, geometric cut-outs and intimate approach to the body. 

Laopu Gold

Laopu Gold has transformed traditional Chinese goldsmithing into a modern luxury proposition, with heritage techniques and culturally recognisable motifs.

Songmont

Songmont has built its following through understated leather goods, practical design and a contemporary interpretation of Chinese aesthetics.