CHIC not only serves as an order platform for the Chinese market, but increasingly also as a strategic meeting point for international cooperation and the global positioning of Chinese brands.
CHIC Shanghai Spring 2026 will bring together 1,091 exhibitors and 1,135 brands from eight countries across 117,200 sqm at NECC, Shanghai.
With over 160,000 expected professional visitors, the fair will showcase key fashion segments, runway shows, business matchmaking and industry talks, strengthening international collaboration and market opportunities in Asia’s fashion sector.
Among the expected over 160,000 professional visitors to CHIC Shanghai are buyers from leading Chinese retail platforms and retail groups. These include representatives from JD.com, Douyin and SHEIN, as well as premium department stores and retail groups such as Beijing SKP. The visitor profile is further complemented by buyers and brand representatives from fashion companies such as Aimer, Urban Revivo, Fabrique, CHUU, and UOOYAA.
Structured exhibition segments along the fashion value chain
The fair is organized into several thematic halls, representing different segments of the fashion industry and enabling buyers and professional visitors to navigate the exhibition efficiently.
Womenswear and cultural design inspirations
In Hall 1.1, CHIC Women’s presents a broad spectrum of womenswear, ranging from commercial collections to design-oriented labels. The segment is particularly aimed at retailers and platforms looking for new brands for the Chinese market.
Alongside this, Chinese Style demonstrates how traditional Chinese design elements are integrated into contemporary fashion concepts. Designers and brands reinterpret historical silhouettes, textile techniques and cultural motifs, combining them with modern cuts and international trends. The fusion of cultural identity and modern aesthetics has become one of the most visible developments within the Chinese fashion industry.
Outerwear, accessories and business matching
Hall 2.1 brings together several commercially strong product categories:
- CHIC Winter’s, focusing on outerwear, knitwear and seasonal collections
- CHIC Accessories and Bags & Shoes, presenting leather goods, handbags, footwear and fashion accessories
- CHIC Matching, a dedicated format for targeted business connections between brands, buyers and distributors
Accessories and leather goods in particular are becoming key growth drivers in China’s fashion retail sector, generating strong demand in both the premium and lifestyle segments.
Outdoor, denim, kids and digital fashion
Hall 3 focuses on fast-growing lifestyle and specialty segments:
- Outdoor & Sports reflects the growing demand for functional fashion and active lifestyle products
- Denim World showcases innovations in denim, including new materials and sustainable production methods
- CHIC KIDZ presents children’s and youth fashion, a segment experiencing rising demand in the Chinese retail market
- Digital Fashion explores technological developments such as virtual fashion, digital design processes and new retail technologies
The international segment CHIC Worldwide offers brands from various countries a platform to find new distribution partners in the Chinese market. Like PNG, DA&CO from Korea, AURA from India, Threadheads from Australia. In this context, the Italian Pavilion with twelve exhibitors highlights as well Italian design expertise with brands such as Anneclaire, Cinzia Caldi, Pango 1974, The Ways to Be, Delba, Vizio, Franco Giazzi, Blanca Luz, Karma, Martin Alvarez.
Menswear, creative concepts and fashion shows
In Hall 4.1, two distinct concepts come together:
- CHIC Men’s, presenting classic and contemporary menswear, from business attire to casual and lifestyle collections
- CHIC Impulses, providing a stage for young designers, emerging brands and innovative fashion concepts
The hall also hosts the CHIC SHOW, where selected brands present their collections in curated fashion shows.
Young brands and new market impulses
Featured at the North Hall CHIC Young Blood, is dedicated primarily to young brands, streetwear labels and new lifestyle concepts. This area targets retailers, concept stores and platforms seeking fresh creative impulses.
Selected brands of the spring edition
Highlights of the fair include both established companies and emerging internationally oriented labels.
The high-street label CANOTWAIT_, founded in 2020 by actor William Chan, blends street culture, art and outdoor lifestyle into a contemporary fashion aesthetic.
RUNXI, a specialist in knitted women’s foundation wear with more than twenty years of experience, combines textile innovation with digitally driven production and an international design team from Seoul.
Fabrique, a global designer collective founded in 2019 by Natalie Wang and Jing Lin, continues to expand internationally and has recently launched its platform in the United States while further expanding across Asia.
The jewelry brand JCJ presents design-driven fashion jewelry for everyday wear and already operates several stores in leading Chinese shopping destinations.
A notable highlight is the return of the renowned menswear brand Shanshan, which is participating in CHIC again after a two-year break. Founded in Ningbo in 1989, the company became the first Chinese menswear brand to go public on the A-share market in 1996.
Industry program with shows, matchmaking and expert talks
In addition to the exhibition, CHIC offers an extensive supporting program of industry events and networking formats.
Planned highlights include:
- 5 CHIC Shows, including a joint runway presentation by Italian exhibitors from CHIC Worldwide as well as presentations by international brands such as Saga Furs
- 6 CHIC Matching events with 134 invited buyers, including representatives from Urban Revivo, CHUU and Fabrique
- 10 CHIC Talk sessions discussing current developments in the global fashion industry
A key program highlight will take place on March 12 from 14:00 to 14:45. The talk session titled “A New Global Coordinate — Chinese Brands Going Global and Engaging with the World” focuses on the international expansion of Chinese brands.
Participants include Zhang Dachuan, Co-founder and Chief Content Officer, WWD China; Zhang Zhengcai, Executive Vice President, President’s Office, Fung Group China; Cheng Youting, Chief Operating Officer China & Asia Pacific, Istituto Marangoni.
Dynamic market and international perspectives
China’s fashion industry remains one of the world’s most important markets for textiles, apparel and fashion retail. In addition to its strong manufacturing base, the domestic consumer market continues to grow in importance, with consumers placing increasing emphasis on brand identity, design and lifestyle concepts.
At the same time, an increasing number of Chinese brands are expanding internationally and positioning themselves in global fashion markets. Platforms such as CHIC Shanghai play a crucial role as an interface connecting Chinese companies, international brands and global distribution partners.
With its combination of international participation, structured exhibition segments and a comprehensive industry program, CHIC Shanghai Spring 2026 once again offers a central platform for business development, trend dialogue and international networking within the fashion industry.
Next date:
CHIC Autumn: August 25-27, 2026, National Exhibiton & Convention Center, Shanghai
Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (MS)