Shanghai’s annual haute couture fashion week opened on Friday night at the World Design Cities Conference.

It aims to promote Chinese designers on the global stage.

Coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival, a grand fashion show, “Shanghai Milan Twin City Showcase,” presented by the Shanghai International Fashion Federation took center stage along the Huangpu River.

This also marked the beginning of the 13th Shanghai New Customization Week.

The haute couture week was initially launched in 2014 to help young local fashion designers develop their creative skills. It has become one of the most important fashion events in China and the world. The annual event also aims to contribute to the enhancement of Shanghai’s soft power and the promotion of Chinese culture abroad.

The annual event has made “Oriental Aesthetics of Living” a crucial initiative, which aims to inherit and explore the essence of Chinese culture, while focusing on fashion resources both home and abroad.

It actively promotes exchange and collaboration between fashion brands, designers and institutions from east and west, enhancing the influence and voice of Chinese fashion culture and design globally, the federation said.

In September, a dozen Shanghai design brands graced the stage at Shanghai Fashion Day at the Palazzo Serbelloni in Milan, Italy, as the overseas event of the 2023 WDCC. It also aims to promote exchanges and fashion partnerships between Shanghai and Milan.

These events will promote “Oriental Aesthetics of Living” to more countries and regions worldwide, injecting new vitality and inspiration into the global fashion scene and allowing the beauty of China to shine on the world stage, said Yin Zi, executive vice president of the federation.