An air of nostalgia has hovered over the fashion shows in Shanghai over the past two weeks. The designers often looked to the past for inspiration – from the glamorous 1920s to the deeply rooted Chinese aesthetic. They didn’t shy away from embellishments, exploring archetypes and the connections to ballet and running.
Nostalgia in muted colors
Floral motifs and muted tones ran through the collections, many of which didn’t skimp on velvet, silk and lace. The ornamental lace dress by the designer Jacques Wei, known for his elegant designs, is interwoven with silver. Sequins and feather boas make his fine evening ensembles appear even more decadent and are reminiscent of the glamorous Shanghai of the 1920s.
Ankle-length, flowing skirts and dresses were a must on most catwalks. At the Rureminds label, the high-slit skirt is complemented with a net top made of oversized jewelry details, the pearl necklaces and elbow-length gloves complete the allusion to the flapper girls of the 1920s. The designs by the Lacerta brand and the designer Xuzhi got their nostalgic, romantic touch from Art Nouveau and Boho Chic. The Lacerta brand drew inspiration from the Catalan lifestyle of Barcelona and Xuzhi from the French poet Arthur Rimbaud and the Latin Quarter in Paris.
The starting point for the Shushu/Tong label’s SS26 collection is also in Paris. Director Agnès Varda made the 90-minute film in 1962 Wednesday between 5 and 7in which the heroine Cleo, faced with her serious medical diagnosis, remarks: “As long as I am beautiful, I am alive.”
The designs of the label, which has become known beyond China’s borders for its Lolita look, are based on this saying. Now the elements of the feminine-subversive looks have become rougher, a mottled tweed ensemble is almost brutally cut in the middle and frayed at the edges, the pink floral jumpsuit fits tight and leaves the legs bare. The images and materials associated with beauty appear so fragile and vulnerable, but that is precisely why they are alive.
Catwalk meets fashion business
- Shanghai Fashion Week is not only the face of Chinese fashion, but also a business meeting place with trade fairs and numerous showrooms. This season, the largest fashion trade fair recorded a 20 percent increase in visitors compared to the previous quarter, the organizers announced. The overall economic environment in China remains tense. Boutique buyers noticed that people tend to invest in high-quality clothing that can be worn on many occasions, Shanghai Fashion Week said in a statement. Showroom CEOs are seeing a shift in buyer demand from glamor Y2K to comfortable, tactile clothing – like linen blazers or knitwear in Morandi colors.
New Chinese aesthetics
The return to China’s cultural heritage is currently one of the biggest trends in the population’s clothing style and this was also reflected in many of the looks at Shanghai Fashion Week. This season, labels increasingly managed to incorporate traditional elements without becoming too bold or obvious.
Designers have increasingly managed to subtly translate Chinese aesthetics into contemporary looks and sometimes merge influences into something new. The Pantterfly label combined a turquoise blue fringed blazer with a sheer, flowing skirt. A cold white bodice trimmed with bolder fringe contrasted the flowing rhythm of the look, which seemed to conjure a mythical water deity from the digital world.
The Evvly label also mixed elements of traditional costumes such as red fabric bolts, stand-up collars and frog buttons with digital-inspired exaggeration, screen-saturated colors and cosplay aesthetics. At We Prive, the ideals of beauty shine through in more subtle ways, such as the loose drape of the floral garland shawl or the way the flow of the sheer sequin lace top flows into the draping of the skirt.
The Yayi label created designs using silk dyed with khaki and gambier using a traditional mud technique. The sleeves of a black blazer have been extended with fringes, reminiscent of the long sleeves of Chinese Song Dynasty robes. Like the life of designer Yayi Chen Zhou, her fashion also moves between China and Spain, the transitions between cultures are fluid and the designs appear timeless.
The Ao Yes label skilfully played with references from Chinese culture like no other and transferred them into relevant designs for the present. Butterflies were featured as a cultural symbol in the collection. As origami on a white blouse, in combination with the floral print of a shiny skirt, they were reminiscent of traditional butterfly and flower motifs. An origami butterfly also adorned a headscarf, which was both reminiscent of Y2K styling and a traditional form of headwear. A yellow silk costume with flip-flops mixed the historic imperial color with the casual street style of the market women.
Fashion labels defy the market
- Facing the challenging economic situation and changing consumer habits, Chinese designer brands have shown impressive adaptability,” said Madame Lu, general secretary of the Shanghai Fashion Week Organizing Committee and vice chairwoman of the Shanghai Fashion Designers Association, in a statement. “Some are refining their storytelling and visuals Identity to make their brands more distinctive and emotionally engaging, while others leverage their strengths in areas such as supply chain integration, e-commerce and digital marketing to develop business models that truly fit their own growth path.”
On the trail of female archetypes
In addition to playing with cultural references, other collections were dedicated to exploring female archetypes. The label Fordare presented a sweet image of light pink, lace and floral motifs, which was given a subversive touch through daring cuts and visible garter belts.
The models on designer Mark Gong’s sandy catwalk became crooks on the run. They wore a lot of leather, like several black belts with silver buckles at the same time and oversized cowboy boots. In his usual ironic manner, the fashion designer broke through the rough Western nostalgia with elements such as a vertical police light as a bustier.
Designer Zita Tan explored the image of femininity with her archaic marine aesthetic. Futuristic cutouts combined to create dresses that resembled armor. Could this be what the women of tribes from the future look like? Her colleague Camey Liu also immersed herself in a futuristic, mythical world of legends with her haute couture creations. Models appeared wrapped in layers of tulle and lace as fairytale fairies or with fine 3D horns as the reincarnation of the demon Lilith.
Fashion Ballet
Sport and dance brought remarkable inspiration to the SS26 collections. The label AS Dalio brought elements of ballet training outfits into their designs. Boleros were paired with body-hugging tops and short shorts, while ballet leotards were worn with a distinctive belt under a coat.
Running inspired the 8ON8 label’s designs. The collection was set in an urban setting and also contained outdoor elements for an urban middle class looking for experiences in the great outdoors. Slightly oversized skirts and tracksuits made of functional fabrics met hand-woven leather shoes, creating a combination of casualness and dynamism.
