After knowing Maison Margiela was set to catch a flight to China instead of Paris for Fall 2026, I decided I’d watch Shanghai Fashion Week, so you don’t have to. This week kind of forced me to realize a couple of things. For starters, I think I actually have a problem with head-to-toe pink. Volume, texture, and contrast though? That I can handle, even in blushy tones.
Mark Gong, a Shanghai favorite, is the perfect example. Romance was smuggled into the show through cheeky (literally) lace skirts, girly co-ords with a slightly aggressive edge, and a closing look featuring the fullest skirt I saw on the runway, tight on the hips, then suddenly wide enough to take up space for three. May I add it was pink and floral. The best part? They were full-on granny florals.
Jacques Wei was the second runner up in the best-skirt-of-the-week competition I played in my head. Dropped waists, drapes, leather, patterns, and the occasional pop of color. “I like weird proportions. It’s really easy to make beautiful proportions. To make the legs long. But I feel nowadays I’m more into playing with turning something weird into something interesting. It’s never weird to see something beautiful, but I think it’s interesting to see something weird,” as he put it.
Oude Waang might’ve given me the best dress of the week. They held their power. My favorite was a long mesh piece, hugging the body until the calves, almost inviting the wearer to spin just to watch it move down there. Then, there was something closer to runway armor, keeping the neck and shoulders busy, fringes included. Occasionally, the hands got something out of it too.
Tipsy Vision has an interesting take on menswear, accessories too. At first glance, the lineup reminded me of a Victorian-era baby. At second, the streetwear vibe started to settle in. Most of it was dark denim, but a brown look stuck with me. A leather skirt with long, rectangular panels hanging like oversized fringe beneath a jacket that featured actual fringe, layered over a pair of jeans, all in a single hue. Of course, it was paired with the most curious glasses, completely missing the glass. I could instantly picture A$AP Rocky in this.
Hemu, on the other hand, looked a bit backward before forward. The looks were rooted in tradition, yet contemporary enough to make you wonder what a Chinese Bottega Veneta might look like. Leather, woven textures, oversized proportions, and sharp structure. Easily the most intriguing and breath-catching show of the week. I’ve never craved a man’s outfit this much.
