Shanghai Fashion Week has taken over the city for nine days as fashion insiders preview the Spring-Summer 2024 collections — and this year, there’s an extra emphasis on Chinese cultural elements.

With over 1,000 brands participating, the biannual event kicked off on October 8 and will run through October 16. This season’s theme is “Synergy,” referring to connections between domestic and international fashion communities, and the rise of Chinese fashion on the world stage. Beyond the runway shows, events and forums will address issues like sustainability, women’s empowerment, and cultural heritage.

Shanghai Fashion Week now ranks among the top five fashion events globally. As its influence grows, organizers hope the event will become an even bigger stage for Chinese culture and designers.

“Through Shanghai Fashion Week, [we hope] to further promote Chinese culture, specifically Chinese clothing culture, and foster the growth of domestic brands through the medium of clothing,” said Shanghai Commission of Commerce’s Liu Min.

The opening show featured Shanghai label Icicle, marking its debut at SFW.

“We’ve kept our distance from the fashion mainstream, although we have achieved some success on our own, I think now it’s about time to go back to the most classic form of showcasing, a runway show,” said co-founder Ye Shouzeng.

China’s leading incubator Labelhood took the opportunity to shine the spotlight on emerging designers, and “neo-Chinese style” is also a major presence, with brands celebrating aesthetics inspired by traditional Chinese fashion.

British designer Stella McCartney will close out the week, making a push to increase brand presence in Asia. Donottag, founded by influencer Han Huohuo, and Clot, founded by musician Edison Chen, will both make debut appearances.

Also notable this year are designer Haizhen Wang, celebrating the ten-year anniversary of his first SFW showcase, and model Lu Yan, whose label Comme Moi is celebrating the ten-year anniversary of its founding.

Comme Moi hosted its highly-anticipated anniversary show on Tuesday, featuring its Autumn-Winter 2023 collection, with a star-studded crowd including Deng Chao, Zhong Chuxi and Hu Bing in attendance.

Several of China’s first-generation supermodels, including Qu Ying, Ma Yanli, Chun Xiao and Tong Chenjie, made a memorable return to the catwalk, celebrating the brand’s decade-long journey, as well as the supermodels’ reunion.

“My sisters represent an era of China’s supermodels,” Lu wrote on Weibo. “Their beauty embodies the independence and empowerment of women in the new era.”

All images via Weibo