• A total number of more than 43,000 visitors of CHIC Shanghai
• Upward trend: the Chinese trade shows positive figures again 
• Interest  in  fashion:  increased  demand  for  new  but  high quality trends
• Sustainability in fashion is a key issue at the fair

CHIC presented itself on an area of 53,000 sqm with over 500 brands in all fashion and lifestyle segments. As far as internationality was concerned, mainly Chinese brands were represented and international labels if they have agents in China.

The focus of the fair was on sustainable fashion and the upgrade of fashion, which corresponds to the current demand of Chinese consumers.

There is an upward trend in Chinese trade. For August the National Bureau of Statistics published an increase of 0.8% for the first time since the beginning of the year. Domestic consumption will be the most important growth driver in the next few years, as well as higher quality, more expensive collections that meet the high demand for quality and style. The smaller metropolises in particular (lower tier cities with up to 3 million inhabitants) are recording high consumer spending. At the same time, the digital platforms continue to develop rapidly with enormous sales growth. The market relevance of young consumers in particular with regard to willingness to spend is also increasing, such as the Gen Z group (born after 1996), who make up 25% of the country's population. According to a recent PwC study on China's "New Retail", this group and China's millennials are willing to spend a lot on products that emphasize their individuality and values of life. Health and sustainability are very important to them.

Chen  Dapeng,  President  of  CHIC  and  the  China  National  Garment Association:

"The global clothing industry is exposed to enormous strains and faces great  challenges.  The  industry  is  in  a  process  of  transformation  and adjustment, the key points are digitalization, innovation and the change in   the   entire   development   concept.   Sustainable   development   has become a global consensus. A responsible and a sustainable industrial ecosystem  and  an  ecological  supply  chain  system  have  become  an important  part  of  the  industrial  "soft  power".  CHIC  is  the  microcosm  of the  development  of  the  Chinese  clothing  industry  and  sees  itself  as  a service  provider  for  industry  and  trade  to  which  the  fair  provides  all resources."

CHIC Segments

Due to the currently still valid travel restrictions, almost without exception only national brands presented themselves at CHIC in Shanghai. They provided a good overview of the current trends in the Chinese fashion market: Urban View (men), New Look (women), Impulses (designer), CHIC-YOUNG BLOOD (streetwear and denim), CHIC KIDZ (kidswear), Shoes and Bags, Secret Stars (accessories), Future Link (innovations for fashion and retail), etc.

Casual / leisurewear was an important topic in menswear in addition to the providers of classic suits such as Dong Meng, well-known brands such as Lei Nuo presented bravely colored collections including suits in chimney red for men and orange for women.

The silver-metallic colored collection by THANKQUE was a crowd puller. Giving off strong futuristic vibes their new collection of men´s streetwear includes graphic t-shirts with humorous comic prints, casual shorts and stylish puffer jackets with a “space” theme touch.

Colorful puffer jackets and coats were also to be seen at Suo Ou Te, in combination with bold slogans and puffer bags.

In the kidswear area the very trendy label Qirui & Deze showed the latest trends in kids fashion and was successfully matched with Tesco on site.

At Jing Yia it was all about denim, from destroyed jeans with colorful prints to matching denim jackets, also using creative graffiti elements and spray patterns. Linen was a strong topic at Impulses, the designer area.

The latest trends on the Chinese fashion market were presented in all segments.