The  Spring/Summer 2026 Shanghai Fashion Week has attracted many foreign buyers and designers, with some of them visiting China for the first time in search of new fashion opportunities.

Among them was shoe buyer Claudia De Beer who is on her first trip to this Chinese mega city. Her first stop after arriving from Dubai is checking out the latest creations at the Shanghai Fashion Week showroom. 

The designs that caught her eye are Chinese sneakers made with 3D printing technology.

"What I'm looking for specifically is what's next in the sneaker industry. There's so much innovation and change that's going to be coming. I'm looking for what is going to be pushing the boundaries and very interested in the way 3D printing is going to go from terms of sustainability or comfort and also just the design potential. So this brand is quite interesting to me," she told the China Global Television Network (CGTN).

At the showroom, it's not just foreign buyers making an appearance, some overseas brands have also chosen Shanghai as the place to debut their collections. 

Grzelak, a Swiss Label-certified clothing brand, was launched only a month ago. It has chosen the Shanghai event as its first-ever fashion week and the designer's first visit to China.

"Luxury and attention to detail is very appreciated. In China, I also think that people like to search for new stuff, that people enjoy new brands, new concepts, and there is not another Swiss brand on the market right now that has the Swiss label in fashion, so we came to show this in China," said Antoni Grzelak, the brand founder.

This season's Shanghai Fashion Week officially kicked off on Thursday, featuring both runway shows and showrooms across the city. Alongside fashion insiders from the Middle East and Europe, participants from Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea are also attending. Notably, half of the brands on display are international labels.

In the past, the Shanghai Fashion Week served mainly as a platform for Chinese designers to showcase their creations, but it has earned a strong global reputation. Now, the fashion gala is a stage where designers from around the world come to connect, collaborate, and seize new opportunities.