In the golden autumn of September, a season of bountiful harvest, the 2026 China Fashion Week (Autumn Edition), themed "Golden Rhythm of the East, Symbiosis of Trends," grandly commenced in Beijing on September 3. Sun Ruizhe, Secretary of the CPC Committee and Chairman of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, announced the opening. Over 600 guests from various sectors gathered for this national fashion gala, including leaders from the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism; officials and representatives from member units of the CNTAC; leaders from the Beijing Municipal Government and Chaoyang District Government; heads of major national retail chains; representatives from central and industry mainstream media; delegates from multiple foreign embassies in China; as well as brand representatives, celebrities, top influencers, popular livestreamers, and professional buyers.
Spanning eight days this season, the fashion week brings together over 220 brands from four continents. From global debuts and premieres to B2B matchmaking, from runway shows to urban commercial districts, and from intangible cultural heritage preservation to digital fashion, it comprehensively presents the complete ecosystem of China's fashion industry, injecting strong momentum into promoting high-quality industrial development and facilitating the construction of an international consumption center city. Anchored in the cultural powerhouse construction initiatives of the 15th Five-Year Plan and closely aligned with the Ministry of Commerce's pilot policies on new forms, models, and scenarios of consumption, this season's fashion week leverages the opportunities of building the capital into an international consumption center city. With global debuts, premieres, and first exhibitions as core initiatives, it strives to seamlessly connect the entire chain of creative release, industry matchmaking, and consumption conversion, bringing fashion creativity from the runway spotlight into broader market territories.
On the opening day, VICUTU, a leading Chinese high-end menswear brand, headlined the opening show. Beneath the metallic dome of 79 Tank at the 798 Art District, lights gradually illuminated the stage as the autumn vibe of the North China Plain gently spread across the wilderness-like runway. As the first look made its debut at the starting point of the runway, fabric textures progressively revealed themselves in the soft light, unfolding the thematic narrative of "Roaming the Wild in Style, Beyond Labels." Liu Haoran, global ambassador for VICUTU, walked the runway and launched a limited co-branded collection deeply co-created with the brand. Celebrities including Bi Wenjun, Hai Lu, Chen Yibing, Ji Xiaobing, and Lu Siheng attended, adding star power to the opening show. By reconstructing the balance between elegance and comfort with travel-ready suits that integrate functional aesthetics, VICUTU set the tone of "Breaking Conventions, Reshaping Boundaries" for the entire Autumn Fashion Week.
The international lineup of this season's fashion week has been comprehensively upgraded, gathering over 220 brands from China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, France, Switzerland, the United States, Colombia, Zambia, Malawi, and other countries. From the elegant DNA of French haute couture to the avant-garde vocabulary of Japanese and Korean design, and further to the vibrant and passionate expressions from Latin America and Africa, fashion forces from multiple nations exchange ideas on the same stage. Industry benchmark brands such as VICUTU, ELLASSAY, LANCY, UY, Xtep, Snow Flying, Jeanswest, Dishang, and LIULI took turns making their appearances. The spectacular shows cover key sectors including business menswear, premium womenswear, haute couture, new Chinese style, revitalization of intangible cultural heritage, sustainable fashion, and functional outdoor wear. Fashion releases and business matchmaking events are staged in rotation across city landmarks including the 798 Art District, Beijing Exhibition Center, CAFA Art Museum, and Longfu Cultural Center.
In the design realm, veteran designers weave the solar terms and intangible cultural heritage crafts into their work, while emerging talents integrate origami logic and silkworm-mulberry imagery into Song brocade and other brocades. Xiangyunsha, an intangible cultural heritage fabric, has become a major source of inspiration. Different designers present vastly different aesthetics through patchwork and contrasting elements, reconstructed Western tailoring, or fur blending. Beyond the runway, major art exhibitions such as the Lyu Yue Art Archive Exhibition, Liu Wei Eco-Fiber Art Exhibition, and the "Such is Mogao" Dunhuang Art Exhibition are held concurrently. Extracting inspirational genes from discarded materials, millennium-old murals, and historical archives, these exhibitions expand the boundaries of fashion expression.
On the consumption front, this season's fashion week elevates the "See Now, Buy Now" model to new heights. The opening show achieved a same-day closed-loop experience of "runway premiere + online livestream + offline flagship store opening." Runway livestreams were synchronized for ELLASSAY, LANCY, and MAGGIE MA. The official DPARK Apparel ODM Exhibition gathered over 60 enterprises and nearly 100 brands, with four major zones covering original design, supply chain matchmaking, technological innovation, and content ecosystem. Concurrently, more than ten events were held, including the PANTONE Color Release, Nanhai Li Style Resident Art Exhibition, and fashion forums and salons. The grand finale, the International Consumption Trends Conference, translated inspirational sparks into practical business logic.
The fashion week continues to collaborate with commercial complexes such as Taiyuan MixC and Zhengzhou Zhengdong MixC, bringing the runway into commercial districts with dozens of renowned brands including Theory, ELLASSAY, Koradior, NAERSI, V·GRASS, DESCENTE, SALOMON, and KOLON SPORT. On the fabric front, leading domestic industrial clusters made a concentrated appearance: "Shengze Fashion Day" focused on the integrated innovation of millennium-old intangible cultural heritage Song brocade and high-tech synthetic fibers; "Keqiao Day" showcased the full-chain design language from yarn to garment; "Haining Day" gathered full-category fashion brands; "Fashion Xiamen" presented diversified design and industry; "Dalian Day" continued its deep cultivation in the high-end fashion field; and "BIFT Day" brought industry-academia-research achievements to the forefront. Additionally, the fashion week partnered for the first time with Goud Art's IP character "Ran Girl" to collaborate with nine designers on a haute couture collection. In the digital fashion sector, designers used algorithms as needles and data as threads to reshape millennium-old Eastern materials.
As an indispensable Eastern beacon in the global fashion landscape, China Fashion Week is about to enter its 30th year of development. This season's fashion week has provided a concentrated presentation of the complete ecosystem map of China's current fashion industry, building a fashion ecosystem of diverse symbiosis and shared excellence, and demonstrating the cultural confidence and inclusive vision of Chinese fashion. Chinese fashion is ever-present and is now embarking on a new voyage.