Shanghai Fashion Week Final Schedule Announced – WWD

LONDON — The official schedule for the spring 2022 edition of Shanghai Fashion Week, which will run from Oct. 8 to 16, was revealed on Monday at a press conference in Shanghai.

Under the theme “The Future Is Now,” the upcoming edition will comprise more than 100 runway shows, trade shows and industry- and consumer-facing events.

Chinese designer Masha Ma will kick-start the fashion week at the main show venue in downtown Shanghai’s Xintiandi. Key designers to be shown in the iconic white tent include Pronounce, Ban Xiaoxue, Zi Ii Ci Ien, Awaylee, Reineren, Yes by Yesir and Ricolee.

Yingpei Studio, winner of last season’s emerging talent award, will also make its Xintiandi venues debut. The brand was previously showcased with Shanghai Fashion Week’s emerging designer platform Labelhood.

Fashion label Ricsostru will make its Shanghai Fashion Week debut under the support of Istituto Marangoni, while Hong Kong-based designers Angus Tsui, Derek Chan, Wilson Choi and Tak Lee will make their Shanghai debut with the support of nonprofit organization Fashion Farm Foundation’s Fashion Port initiatives.

The city’s fashion retailer and emerging Chinese designer support scheme Labelhood will move its show space to the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation Pavilion on the West Bund. Some 10 newcomers — Auti Seminario, Zhong Zixin, Ruohan, Linlin Chasse, Nan Knits, J. E. Cai, Social-Work, Donsee10, Sultry Virgin, And 022397bluff — will join the lineup alongside established names like Shushu/Tong, Louis Shengtao Chen, Shie Lyu, Mayali, Yirantian, Swaying, Private Policy, Oude Waag, Jacques Wei, Deepmoss and Ponder.er.

On the trade show front, more than 1,000 brands will participate in the fashion week under fashion week’s official trade show partners like Mode, Ontimeshow, Showroom Shanghai, Tube Showroom, Alter Showroom, Not Showroom, Dadashow, Lab Showroom and Hch Showroom.

Ontimeshow, the biggest trade show in terms of space, is adding two more nearby venues this season to hosts its curated RoomRoom showroom business, as well as runway space for Haizhen Wang, Qiuhao, Susan Fang, Xiao Li and Angel Chen to showcase their new collections.

Meimei Ding, chief executive officer of DFO International, a showroom that focuses on bringing global brands like Études, Christian Wijnants and Tibi to the Chinese market, said she is confident that the market will continue to be very strong this season.

“We are honored to support our international and domestic brands with strong trade development in October, not just in wholesale but also across multiple business channels. Creatively, we see many designers addressing upcycling and environmental themes, and also designs that focus on functionality and comfort,” she added.

High-profiles events will also take place during the week, such as the inaugural She Power Fashion Women Forum. Participants include Xiao Xue, former Elle China publisher and editor in chief and Shanghai Fashion Week ambassador, and the event will gather women who are committed to public welfare.

There is also the transparent supply chain-focused exhibition “Integration & Rebirth — The Path to Sustainable Fashion,” curated by Ulio Space, and the new “M Space” project, which will feature guests from China National Textile and Apparel Council, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, WWF, Kering Group, Inditex Group, and Adidas to share their insights on topics such as sustainable fashion and business innovation.

Eva Serrano, Inditex Greater China president, said during the press conference that “Shanghai Fashion Week is a very valuable global window. We are eager to play a transformative role in the industry and work toward progressive global goals for transformation in the years to come.”

Shaway Yeh’s Shan Future Forum will return as a two-day event with online programs and offline workshops and panels. She said the forum will focus on the discussion of restoring biodiversity as well as valuing social diversity.

“The newly launched Innovation Hub gathers 20 plus global tech companies to provide sustainable solutions in materials and systems. Creative Reels showcase young designers, such as Wangbing Huang, Penultimate, Kerr H and Rao Song using their imagination to tackle the climate crisis,” she said.

Harrods will also further invest in China this season following the success of last year’s The Residence personal shopping concept. It will host a three-day community event at the Middle House called the Harrods Hive. It aims to build industry dialogues and connect Chinese emerging talents with industry experts for in-depth exchanges and cooperation.

Michael Ward, managing director at Harrods, said: “There has never been a more exciting time for the Chinese luxury industry.… We want to bring together our contacts of industry leaders, innovators, and aspirants to learn from each other and help each other at whatever stage of their journey they happen to be. From taking this concept to Shanghai Fashion Week, to making it a more permanent aspect of our growing presence in China, our goal is to foster more cooperation amongst our industry’s biggest talents and build support for the luxury brands of tomorrow.”

For a citywide celebration of fashion, a series of consumer-facing digital initiatives and offline events will also take place, such as the “Shanghai Fashion and Lifestyle Carnival.” It is an online platform that enables fashion brands to sell their latest works directly to consumers via livestreaming.