Shanghai Fashion Week Springs Back to Life
For spring 2021, collections were presented in person.
SHANGHAI — After a season that experimented with going fully digital in March and was met with mixed results, Shanghai Fashion Week sprang back to the physical world for spring 2021.
Still mainly a domestic affair, the lack of overseas participants was felt but not nearly as much as with the big four fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris.
Business overall seemed basically back to pre-COVID-19 levels, according to Shanghai Fashion Week organizers, based on the feedback from several brands, aligning with national figures released on Monday that showed retail sales were up 3.3 percent year-over-year. Some brands were even reporting they were back to growth compared to a year ago.
Sustainability was a strong thread throughout the agenda. The three-day
Shan Future Forum by Shaway Yeh brought together a range of industry speakers including Kering and The Woolmark Company to speak on the issue, exploring diverse topics like microbial fabrics, traditional Indian techniques, and a primer on B-Corps. The Harrods Studio similarly organized eco-conscious panels and the week also played host to the Green Carpet Fashion Awards.
This season saw a fair number of foreign-trained talents relocate back to their native China. Names like Caroline
Hu, Susan Fang, Shie Lyu, and Wanbing Huang, who usually spend at least half or if not all of their time overseas, created some of the most interesting collections this season.
Here, a round-up of the designer highlights from Shanghai Fashion Week.