International haute couture "meets" Chinese fabrics: 2026 Keqiao Fashion Week (Autumn) kicks off in Zhejiang

China News Service, Shaoxing, November 6 (Dong Yixin) "We are very optimistic about the development prospects of the Chinese market and hope to carry out more in-depth exchanges and cooperation. This is the first time our team has come to Keqiao to participate in Keqiao Fashion Week, and the cooperation with local companies has been very smooth. The fabrics they provided for this fashion show are excellent." On the afternoon of November 5, Adam, global chief operating officer of MARCHESA, an international advanced custom dress brand, Braithwaite said at the opening show of 2026 Keqiao Fashion Week (Autumn).

On November 5, the opening show of the 2026 Keqiao Fashion Week (Autumn) opened in Keqiao, Shaoxing, Zhejiang. Photo by Dong Yixin

This time, MARCHESA joined hands with four benchmark fabric companies in Keqiao to jointly present the brand's 2027 spring series fashion show. The theme of this show is "Flowers among Flowers". A series of dresses combine international design concepts with Keqiao fabrics, showing the collision of Eastern and Western aesthetics.

Keqiao is home to China Textile City, the world's largest textile distribution center, with a complete textile industry chain. About a quarter of the world's fabrics are traded here every year. From fabric research and development, production and manufacturing to market circulation, a complete industrial foundation provides support for the implementation of fashion creativity.

"Fashion is the language of art and the expression of culture, connecting classical and modern, nation and the world." Jingyao, deputy secretary of the Keqiao District Committee and District Chief of Shaoxing City, said that Keqiao has been associated with cloth since ancient times. Now it is prosperous because of cloth. It is leading fashion manufacturing with fashion design and promoting the extension of the textile industry to the high end of the value chain.

In recent years, Keqiao has laid out an international fashion port and an international fashion world, building the WGSN Keqiao Trend Center and the Sino-Italian Future Fashion Museum, attracting global fashion talents and top designers. At the same time, the local area has expanded application scenarios such as "AI cloth" and "Keqiao Selection" to promote the connection between fabric research and development, design innovation and market demand, so that high-quality fabrics can be better transformed into fashion products.

In addition to industrial upgrading, Keqiao is also accelerating its integration into international fashion exchanges. The local area has deep linkage with Milan Fashion Week, one of the four major fashion weeks in the world. It has held the "Keqiao Day" event for four consecutive years, promoted the implementation of the "Keqiao Pavilion", and continued to expand exchanges and cooperation with the global fashion industry.

On November 5, the opening show of the 2026 Keqiao Fashion Week (Autumn) opened in Keqiao, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, with models showing off fashion. Photo by Dong Yixin

At the scene, Sun Ruizhe, Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the China Textile and Apparel Federation, said that fashion week is a link connecting industries and a window to showcase innovation. He expects Keqiao to further strengthen the connection between trend research and market demand, deepen digital transformation and green manufacturing, strengthen original design and intellectual property protection, and rely on China Textile City, Modern Textile Technology Innovation Center and other platforms to expand cross-border e-commerce and international exchanges and cooperation, and promote the implementation of more new designs, new brands, and new cooperation.