On March 25, Chinese national fashion brand EP YAYING presented a fashion show-themed “Elegance” (Ya), kicking off this season’s Shanghai Fashion Week. With the concept of “Shaping New Dimensions, Building the Unseen,” the Shanghai Autumn/Winter Fashion Week 2025 showcased nearly a hundred new product debuts, a thousand brand-first exhibitions, and dozens of high-profile international collaborative launch events.

On the opening day, EP YAYING showcased an opening show at the Xintiandi venue, themed around three narrative dimensions: “Elegant Realm” (Ya Realm), “Elegant Melody” (Ya Melody), and “Elegant Motion” (Ya Motion). Featured were cross-disciplinary collaborations with Yang Jinqiu, an inheritor of Miao paper-cutting, and Zou Yingzi, a national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor (Suzhou embroidery), deconstructing the urban fabric of Shanghai and the cultural genes of the Jiangnan region with contemporary artistic techniques.

Beyond the runway, EP YAYING also launched several initiatives at the 2025 Shanghai Autumn/Winter Fashion Week. One notable initiative is the Shanghai EP YAYING House, a key venue in the brand’s commercial strategic layout. This cultural lounge, housed in a century-old mansion, was co-created with architectural designer Lv Yongzhong and reconstructed under the concept of “home culture,” reviving the essence of “home.”

Additionally, EP YAYING collaborated with renowned costume designer Huang Wei to present the fashion art exhibition “Time-Woven Brocade: Peony Dream.” This exhibition, centered around the brand’s signature elements—peonies and jade—recreates millennia of fashion evolution through installation art, showcasing the dialogue between traditional patterns and modern silhouettes.

EP YAYING not only brought its fashion show to Shanghai Fashion Week but also deeply participated in Shanghai’s fashion “infrastructure” construction, co-creating and prospering in multiple dimensions such as creative design, intangible cultural heritage inheritance, spatial art, and channel construction. This opening of Shanghai Fashion Week also foreshadowed the brand’s focus on the global market, with Shanghai as its pivot.

Chairman Zhang Huaming emphasized in his speech: “The beauty of great elegance, inherited in a single garment. With its long history, the 36-year development journey of Chinese culture has nurtured EP YAYING’s growth. In this new era of national rejuvenation and cultural confidence, EP YAYING is guided by outstanding traditional Chinese culture, striving to cultivate this beautiful career, focusing on creating beauty, and serving customers’ beautiful lives with heart.”

The ecology of Shanghai Fashion Week has continuously supported more young Chinese design brands from the creative level to the commercial level. The two official show venues of Xintiandi and Labelhood are based on such positioning settings. 

This season, established designer brands Comme Moi, Xuzhi, Short Sentence, Shushu/Tong, Yirantian, Oude Waag, WMWM, Private Policy, Ruiruirul, and Youwei insisted on connecting with their buyers and key consumers through runways. In contrast, emerging brands such as Zita Tan, Guest House, Tongwang, and Papi Lav debuted during fashion week. To commemorate its 88th anniversary, Three Gun, the prestigious national brand, hosted a fashion show at Xintiandi and concurrently held the “Three Gun 88th Anniversary Brand Exhibition” on Huaihai Road.

In the trade sector, the total area of the 2025 Autumn/Winter Fashion Week Mode exhibition reached 15,000 m², attracting over 200 brands from 34 countries, with overseas brands accounting for 57%, demonstrating the strong magnetic effect of the Chinese market. The number of visitors on the first day of the Mode exhibition increased by 29% compared to the previous season (October 2024), and the number of buyers and agents visiting the exhibition also increased during the five-day event.

The international elements of this season’s trade exhibition were also fully displayed. Driven by the “Africa Reimagined China Market Program,” 22 top African brands—highlighting handmade weaving, natural dyeing, and environmentally friendly processes—were able to showcase the global potential of African fashion at Mode.

MIK Fashion from South Korea brought 12 local Korean brands, presenting the innovative momentum of the Korean fashion industry with cutting-edge technology, experimental design, and sustainable concepts. The Royal Thai Embassy Shanghai Office (DITP) and the Commercial Office of the Royal Thai Consulate General in Shanghai joined hands with Ontimeshow to bring 16 Thai fashion and lifestyle brands this season.

The “Bangkok Showroom” series of events made its China debut in Shanghai. It presented the unique charm of Thai design to Chinese consumers and industry professionals and promoted in-depth cooperation between the Chinese and Thai fashion industries. In addition, brands from more than 30 countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Belgium, Japan, Vietnam, and India, gathered at this season’s fashion week to explore the diverse opportunities in the Chinese market.

Notably, in the broader context of global fashion integration and in-depth exchanges, Deary Raphael, a senior buyer from Paris Printemps‘ menswear department, and Ash Ghazali, creative director of Singapore’s luxury multi-brand retailer Club 21 under the COMO Group, were in attendance. Their participation underscores the growing collaboration between the global fashion industry and China.

“The Chinese market presents significant potential. As a vast and rapidly evolving fashion landscape, it is undergoing increasing maturation. Consumers are becoming more discerning, recognizing the distinctions between the international fashion industry and its domestic counterpart. Chinese designers aiming to compete globally must be acutely aware of these nuances. Nevertheless, this market offers an exceptional launchpad for many designers within China,” commented Raphael.

In the events schedule, two special projects initiated by the Shanghai Fashion Designer Association (SFDA) were presented during the week. In collaboration with Yehyehyeh, the Sustasia Fashion Prize 2025 exhibited eight finalists from across Asia with their unique design pieces based on sustainable materials and creative craftsmanship, redefining the intersection of fashion, cultural heritage, and global sustainability, and announced Chinese designer Ruohan as the winner of the prize.

In partnership with SFDA and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI), the “Supported by Dolce & Gabbana” program collaborated for the first time with the Chinese designer brand Susan Fang. Following the Milan Fashion Week showcase, a special exhibition and forum were organized, aiming to explore how international brands can empower and accelerate global and Chinese creative talent from a global perspective.

As Angelo Flaccavento, an international independent fashion critic, commented, “The last time I came was six years ago. Everything was very pop, very booming, and very bold. Instead, I find everything in Shanghai now—I mean, of course, the market is having a downturn, and it’s a little bit smaller, but I also find the proposal very interesting because many designers are working around their Chinese roots in the crafts or the colors or the shapes. And it gives a very strong identity to what I’ve seen. I really like the shows and showrooms here because I found them very well-defined as an aesthetic, very personal, and very well made.”

Today, the significance of Fashion Week to a city has far surpassed that of a mere fashion event; it is a pinnacle showcase of the city’s capabilities. From the global debut of Chinese designs to the first exhibitions of international brands, Shanghai Fashion Week is redefining fashion discourse with its “premiere power.” As global creativity converges here, the world’s fashion trends are set in motion.

Written by SHEN Yin
Edited and translated by Sissi CHU

Think of it as the perfect pan-German design partnership – sunglasses specialist Mykita and luggage leader Rimowa have launched their first collaborative eyewear collection.

The duo has hired two of the country’s coolest icons for the link-up’s debut campaign: Vicky Krieps and Udo Kier. Krieps’ breakout role was as the calculating assistant of couturier Daniel Day-Lewis in “Phantom Thread,” while Kier is arguably the greatest German character actor of all time.

By tapping into German heritage and iconic design, the partnership focuses on developing eyewear based on a shared legacy of lightweight and built-to-last constructions.

“Rimowa and Mykita are two innovative German brands with deep technical expertise in their respective fields. Both are known for recognizable design features and innovative use of materials. With shared values on durability and craftsmanship, fusing our emphasis on movement with Mykita’s focus on vision was a natural fit,” said Rimowa CEO Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert in a release.

“This collaboration perfectly expresses the essence of ‘German design’ – where innovation and aesthetics come from owning both engineering and manufacturing expertise,” said Mykita founder and creative director Moritz Krueger.

“Our collaborative design with Rimowa is minimalist, essential and inherently distinctive, revealing the specialist knowledge in materials and craftsmanship that we each bring to the table,” Krueger added.

Designed in collaboration with Berlin and Cologne, the eyewear collection is meticulously handcrafted at Mykita Haus in Berlin. Drawing on Rimowa’s signature lightweight aluminum designs and Mykita’s advanced eyewear engineering, the Mykita | Rimowa collection showcases two distinct design concepts, each reflecting the essence of both brands while delivering on the shared promise of durability and lightness.

A Heritage series combines Mykita’s stainless steel craftsmanship with Rimowa’s use of lightweight, anodized aluminum in a reinterpretation of classic sunglass silhouettes. Marking the first time Mykita has used aluminum for sunglasses, the collection features three archetypal shapes – panto, square, and aviator.

Premium lenses with 100% UV protection in classic solid tones offer superior visual clarity, while advanced anti-reflective and hard coatings guard against peripheral reflections and ensure maximum durability.

The second series, Visor, is a sleek, ultra-lightweight shield concept. Stainless steel meets a toric lens shield, offering both a horizontal and vertical base curve to create a sleek, contoured fit.

A certificate of authenticity accompanies every pair, underlining the craftsmanship and exclusivity of this collection.

Starting April 10, 2025, the Mykita | Rimowa collection, including the Heritage series priced at €595 and the Visor series at €515, will be available at select Rimowa and Mykita stores and exclusive retail partners worldwide.

Mykita was founded in 2003 by Krueger, taking a highly differentiated business model focused on creating exceptional products that last while practicing transparency on its environmental and social responsibilities.

Founded in 1898, Rimowa is a global leader in premium luggage. In the 1920s, it introduced aviation-inspired aluminum suitcases, revolutionizing the industry and leading to its iconic grooved aluminum design. In 2000, it pioneered again with the debut of the first polycarbonate suitcase. In 2017, LVMH acquired the brand, appointing Alexandre Arnault—second son of LVMH CEO and controlling shareholder Bernard Arnault—as managing director.

The DSquared2 duo of Dean and Dan Caten have taken the unprecedented step of explaining in some detail the reasons for ending their license with Staff International, citing breaches to the contract.

As reported on Saturday, DSquared2 announced the ending of its 25-year license with Staff International, the key manufacturing arm of Italian fashion billionaire Renzo Rosso, the founder of Diesel. Six hours later, he responded by stating that he would sue DSquared2 for breach of contract.

However, this Thursday morning, Catens released a further statement: “This carefully considered decision, taken with support from Legance law firm, follows several serious contractual breaches by the licensee and reflects the brand’s commitment to protecting its values, heritage, and the excellence that has always defined it.”

“With the termination of the license agreement with Staff International and billionaire Renzo Rosso, DSquared2 leverages its roots to shape the future ahead and enters a new phase of turnaround marked by strategic, creative and operational independence,” the brand continued in a lengthy communiqué.

“We are not simply protecting a business. We are safeguarding our dream — our legacy. And we are doing so honestly, purely, and with the utmost respect for those who walk this journey with us,” the brothers themselves insisted.

“As the business that Dean and Dan Caten created against all odds now enters a new era, the move also enhances the founders’ desire to honor and hone the values of autonomy and authenticity at the heart of DSquared2 February’s 30th-anniversary celebration,” added the statement, which revealed previously unknown details about the Caten twins.

The twins celebrated the 30th-anniversary show in Milan this past season with their latest mammoth theatrical show — the cast marching out of a wrecked brick garage or arriving in a series of mighty wheels. From armored personnel carriers and Ford Mustang convertibles to an all-silver DeLorean and a vintage Rolls Royce, all took turns arriving in the huge warehouse done up like a nightclub.

“Personified by Dean and Dan Caten, DSquared2 is a testament to tenacity. Raised in Canada between foster care and group homes, the brothers overcame an upbringing of mental and physical exploitation at the hands of authorities and guardians. They created DSquared2 as a monument to the self-reliance and fighting spirit that paved the way for the freedom they found through their careers in fashion,” the twins revealed in a statement bearing the headline “DSquared2 Leverages Its Roots to Shape the Future Ahead,” the release read.

It added that bringing production and distribution in-house is a move “caused by the reiterated contractual breaches.”

In the future, the Milan-based house will operate a new strategy. Starting with the Spring-Summer 2026 pre-collection, DSquared2 will oversee production and distribution directly. Supported by dedicated teams, trusted advisors and a solid financial base — an evolution powered by courage, clarity and long-term ambition, the brand insisted.

The statement ended by expressing “heartfelt thanks to those who have upheld the independence and integrity of their life’s work and look forward to building new, constructive partnerships in the future.”

Rosso, a hard-charging self-made man whose empire encompasses stellar brands like Marni, Jil Sander and Maison Margiela, is expected to contest the early ending of the agreement in court.

Expect the mother of all legal battles.