Shanghai designers look to the future as China recovers

SHANGHAI — Shanghai Fashion Week's full physical return this season made people forget about it a while ago exactly one year the city entered a two-month lockdown in an attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The general feeling among the fashion community is that although this was a traumatic and threatening experience for business, the majority are ready to move on and focus on what happens next.

"We saw many international buyers and media coming to Shanghai Fashion Week, when they first trip to Shanghai in several years, they can physically experience the city's renewed vitality,” said Lv Xiaolei, secretary general of Shanghai Fashion Week Organizing Committee.

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"After years of development, young local designers have become more mature in exploring business models and have gradually found a clear path in design and brand positioning. Everyone is ready for more diversified means of communication and exchange at home and abroad," Lv added.

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The Taiping Lake site of Shanghai Fashion Week.

This energy could also be felt on the track. Local talent showcased upbeat, fashion-forward collections that cater to the return of office life and international travel.

Shushu/Tong, for example, presented a sultry yet office-appropriate fall 2023 collection in a maze with Labelhood, the brand's partner distributor. Founded by London College of Fashion graduates Liushu Lei and Yutong Jiang, the brand has attracted a loyal global following since 2015 for its soft yet seductive aesthetic.

Shushu Tong fall 2023 behind the scenes.

The new collection based most of the silhouettes on school uniforms. While looking cute and nerdy on the surface, he had a subversive sexual undercurrent. It looks like the brand is entering a new phase as the Shushu/Tong girls grow and enter...