5 New Brands To Know From Shanghai Fashion Week

Shanghai Fashion Week is fast becoming one of the best fashion events for new and emerging designers and brands. From October 9 to 17, it hosts hundreds of new names across runways, trade shows, events and showrooms.

Here’s a list of some of the most exciting labels from the venues dotted across the city during the event.

Insularie

Insulaire’s founder Zkai Yang hails from the tropical island of Hainan. He attended Esmod Paris and later interned at Saint Laurent in Paris. His brand won the Best Collection Award France and Best Prize overall at Moda Portugal showing his early promise. Maritime culture is at the core of the label and the seaside-inspired menswear was a standout at Not Showroom. Showcasing the beauty of the Hainanese and the island culture, it uses a soft color pallet and relaxed layering in fine fabrics. The inspiration for Spring Summer 25 comes from the baby carrier used by the Tanka people which is often decorated with flowers representing peace.

Chen Xu

A new arrival to the trade show Ontime Show, Chen Xu was founded in 2023 by two FIT graduates, Zhuoran Chen and Yongqi Xu (hence the name). With an attention to tailoring and simple classic silhouettes made from comfortable natural fabrics such as linen and cotton, this minimalist brand is focused on clean fits and practical elegance suitable for daily life.

Re Shiu

Re Shiu made its debut at Shanghai Fashion Week at Lab showroom. Named after the designer’s daughter, Reshiu which means Hot Water, the brand is based in Zhejiang Province. It is run by Aiguo Cheng, who previously worked as a designer at the Hangzhou-based company JNBY. Re Shiu aims to be a democratic, inclusive fashion line that sells its deconstructed heavy silhouettes in natural linen, yak yarn, and mohair creations on Taobao. The talented designer has also built his own house and has shown initially at Milan Fashion Week.

Zaanli

Designer knitwear brand Zaanli is the brainchild of founder Suzan Su and creative director Alice Chen who has studied at FIT and Central Saint Martins. Also founded in 2023, it’s showing at Closet showroom which sits inside Mode—the official trade show from Shanghai Fashion Week. With a pared-back aesthetic, Zaanli’s value proposition comes from sumptuous yarns and high-quality fabrics.

Penultimate

Penultimate is a collection of wearable art designed in New York City by Xiang Gao. Born and raised in Wenzhou, she has a masters from Parsons School of Design. Gao worked for Raf Simons at Calvin Klein 205W39NYC before launching Penultimate in 2018. The designer draws from her Chinese roots and life in America and employs mixed material assemblage techniques that nod to the 1970s Wearable Art movement. Found at Not Showroom, the brand is a maximalist celebration of craftsmanship.