In Shanghai, a look that defines the cultural moment is quickly emerging, with delicate fabrics and softer silhouettes channeling Chloé’s 1970s bohemian chic taking the lead.
During the spring 2027 Shanghai Fashion Week, Chinese brands embraced a softer and more eclectic aesthetic, reflecting a wider shift in consumer sentiment — amid economic uncertainty, younger shoppers look for emotional comfort in everyday beauty that helps to express their individuality.
Despite the prudent mood on the ground, SND’s founder and buyer Will Zhang thinks shoppers are yearning to dream a little.
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“I see strong potential in a more romantic expression of femininity, with bohemian and vacation influences,” said SND’s founder and buyer Will Zhang. “I’m particularly interested in pieces that bring this sense of lightness and beauty into everyday life.”
For Caterina Ercoli, senior buying consultant at Antonioli, what consumers are looking for is “individuality, craftsmanship and cultural identity.”
“Shoppers are increasingly looking for distinctive pieces, strong creative identities and products that feel genuinely exclusive,” said Ercoli, pointing to local players such as Macro’Senses, Mutedance and Yayi.
Eric Young, owner of Shanghai-based multibrand retailer Le Monde De SHC, credits Xiaohongshu, the popular social commerce platform, for fueling the romance renaissance.
“This is a positive development that brings greater variety to the retail market. After all, ‘old-money’ and quiet luxury are not trends that genuinely drive design evolution and retail innovation,” Young said.
For Barneys New York Japan’s Yasuko Miyajima, “pale tones, multicolored stripes, floral prints and organza” are style cues that reflect the delicate mood of the moment.
Miyajima favored new brands including Leoal and Tadzio Reverie for offering “a sense of lightness and romance to everyday dressing,” Miyajima said.
Moldir Tassygan, buyer from Viled Group Kazakhstan, is framing the Shanghai runway as “femininity in its fun era.”
“Women want to keep their feminine side but also have fun with their fashion,” Tassygan said.
Here are buyers’ reactions to the spring 2027 Shanghai season.
Caterina Ercoli, senior buying consultant at Antonioli
Favorite collections: Macro’Senses, Mutedance, Yayi, Pronounce and EP Yaying.
What trend will matter in six months?: Individuality, craftsmanship and cultural identity. The real trend is moving beyond trends themselves. Customers are increasingly looking for distinctive pieces, strong creative identities and products that feel genuinely exclusive. What excites me about Shanghai is how Chinese designers are combining experimentation, craftsmanship and their own cultural references with a contemporary, international vision.
What show best met the moment?: Designers and brands such as Macro’Senses, Mutedance and Yayi represent the new generation of Chinese creativity that I find particularly exciting. Each brings a distinctive approach to design, experimentation and product development.
Did you feel any “vibe shift” this season?: Absolutely. From creative discovery to a more mature and internationally confident fashion ecosystem. This was my second season attending Shanghai Fashion Week, and I could clearly perceive an evolution. There is a stronger understanding of brand positioning, product development and the importance of building a recognizable identity. Designers are becoming more confident in their creative vision while increasingly understanding the expectations of international retailers.
If you could, sum up the season in one word: Identity. What stood out to me this season was the confidence of designers expressing their own creative vision without compromising their cultural roots.
Eric Young, owner, Le Monde De SHC, Shanghai
Favorite collections: Penultimate. I’ve always admired designer Gao Xiang’s whimsical creativity; her work stands out even more distinctly amidst the current climate.
Trend that will matter in six months: The term “maximalism” on Xiaohongshu has gained huge popularity among Shanghai-based designers. Under the influence, feminine romantic motifs, saturated color palettes and intricate details can be seen everywhere. In any case, this is a positive development that brings greater variety to the retail market. After all, ”old-money“ and quiet luxury are not trends that genuinely drive design evolution and retail innovation.
What show best met the moment?: Xu Zhi’s presentation at the Hundred Flowers Hall of Garden Hotel. The historic architectural setting perfectly complemented the designer’s vision for this season. The live performance by An Yu also lent the show a stronger narrative quality.
Did you feel any “vibe shift” this season?: Absolutely. Dramatic design sensibilities have suddenly become the thing. It may stem from influences from Paris and Milan, or some sudden creative awakening. It could also simply mean designers are more willing to stay true to themselves.
If you could, sum up the season in one word: Unrestrained expression.
Laura Darmon, buying director and business development, ENG
Favorite collections: Didu, Markgong, Shushu/Tong, Adidas Y-3 and Yvmin.
What trend will matter in six months?: Refined silhouettes and subtle layering will stick. Low-rise trousers and corporate or interlaced silhouettes were everywhere this season, let’s see if that’s gonna last and for how long.
Are budgets up, down or flat?: Up, as we’ve expanded our Shanghai location.
Any categories in which you will place a deeper buy this season?: Light knitwear and small leather goods.
Emerging brands on your radar? Effet de Soleil, a new Shanghai-based label dressing women for everyday life with feminine silhouettes and a subtle twist.
What show best met the moment?: The Adidas show was incredible — the scenography, music and styling were all so well curated and visually interesting.
Did you feel any “vibe shift” this season?: Brands are staying consistent and I think that will pay off in the long run.
If you could, sum up the season in one word: Interesting.
Kit Lo, founder, Hong Kong-based multibrand store Fanboyk36
Favorite collections: Ranze, Didu, Samuel Gui Yang, Penultimate and Swaying Knit.
What trend will matter in six months? What won’t stick?: Something less casual, more like tailoring and also classics with modern twist. Oversize silhouettes won’t stick.
Are budgets up, down or flat?: A little bit up but we are pretty new, we have just started two seasons ago.
Where are you increasing spend or being more cautious?: We are getting more brands, something more unique in the market and non-markdown collections. We tried to carry the brands with strong DNA.
Any categories in which you will place a deeper buy this season?: Outerwear — jackets and blazers — but with light fabrics [and] also shirts. Objects is also another category we are looking into as well.
Emerging brands on your radar?: Ranze and Aojie Rou.
What show best met the moment?: Samuel Gui Yang is always our favorite in Shanghai. Yangkehan is interesting too.
Did you feel any “vibe shift” this season?: Apart from shows, more and more brands would host their own events like pop-ups, exhibitions or parties where you can really interact with your community.
If you could, sum up the season in one word: Diversity.
Will Zhang, founder and buyer at SND
Favorite collections: Dui Dao and Marchen stood out to me this season. Rather than chasing market trends with products that look increasingly similar, Dui Dao stayed true to its identity while making clear progress in fabrics and craftsmanship. A 100 percent cashmere T-shirt, a 100 percent silk sports jacket, and denim-inspired pieces made from cashmere-silk blends brought a fresh perspective to familiar everyday styles. The bolder use of color also added another dimension to the collection. Marchen was another pleasant surprise. The brand continued to develop its design language, working with quality materials such as cashmere, silk and linen to create a collection that felt richer and more refined.
Trends that will matter in six months: I see strong potential in a lighter, more romantic expression of femininity, with bohemian and vacation influences. Chiffon, linen and silk featured prominently this season, alongside lace and crochet, while dresses took up a noticeably larger share of many collections.
This direction makes sense for the hot summers across much of China, but I think it also reflects a broader shift in what women want from the way they dress. After years of minimalism, there may be a renewed appetite for romance, detail and a little more freedom in personal style. I’m particularly interested in pieces that bring this sense of lightness and beauty into everyday life, rather than reserving it for special occasions.
What show best met the moment?: It’s difficult for me to single out one show. For me, the collections that best responded to the current moment were those that maintained a clear identity while delivering tangible improvements in product quality. In a cautious market, consumers need a clear reason to buy. Fabric, cut, finishing and comfort all matter more when people are becoming more selective about what they spend on. Brands that can make familiar, wearable pieces feel desirable through better materials and execution are offering a compelling direction. The market needs wearable clothes, but wearability alone isn’t enough. Fashion also needs to offer something distinctive and unexpected. The collections that balance commercial relevance with a strong design point of view are the ones I find most relevant today.
Did you feel any “vibe shift” this season?: Aesthetically, I noticed a move away from restrained minimalism toward something softer, more romantic and more feminine. What struck me even more, however, was how many brands seemed to be moving in the same direction.
When brands gravitate toward styles that have already proved commercially successful, collections can start to look increasingly similar in silhouette, fabric and styling. This also affects how consumers dress — when the options available in stores become more alike, personal style can become less distinctive, too.
So I have mixed feelings about this shift. It may reflect a genuine change in aesthetic preferences, but it also raises questions about how much creative diversity is being lost under market pressure. I’d like to see more brands interpret these broader trends in ways that feel distinctly their own, rather than arriving at the same answers.
If you could, sum up the season in one word: Cautious. From design to buying, there seems to be a stronger focus on reducing uncertainty and making safer decisions. I understand the commercial pressures behind this, but when too many brands rely on proven formulas, fashion risks losing some of the freshness and individuality that make it exciting.
Against that backdrop, the brands that continue to develop their own identities while investing in better fabrics, craftsmanship and product quality stand out even more. To me, that’s what makes a brand worth paying attention to in a cautious market.
Yasuko Miyajima, women’s buyer at Barneys New York Japan
Favorite collections: Ao Yes and Cotemp.
New discoveries: Leoal and Tadzio Reverie. Leoal caught my eye with its delicate knitwear and effortless femininity, while Tadzio Reverie offered a fresh, poetic take on nautical dressing. Both are brands I look forward to following.
Trend that will matter in six months: Pale tones, multicolored stripes, floral prints and organza. I see these bringing a sense of lightness and romance to everyday dressing.
What show best met the moment?: I wasn’t able to attend enough shows in Shanghai this season to single one out.
Did you feel any “vibe shift” this season?: I felt a shift toward a softer, more delicate mood, with an emphasis on lightness, transparency, and romantic details.
Sum up the season in one word: Ethereal.
Moldir Tassygan, buyer from Viled Group Kazakhstan
Favorite collections: Yirantian and J Rureminds
Trend that will matter in six months: I think that the macro trend would be femininity in its fun era. Women want to keep their feminine side but also have fun with their fashion.
What show best met the moment?: For me the best was J Rureminds, I think it was in the middle of comfort, fashion and fun. The colors were incredibleand had their own moment in the show.
Did you feel any “vibe shift” this season?: I think this season we are shirting from serious, “office sirens” to more vibrant and funky fashion.
If you could, sum up the season in one word: This was a transitional season to office maximalism.
