CHIC move cements Shanghai's role as fashion capital

The rivalry between Beijing and Shanghai reaches back decades and the fashion world just added fuel to the fire: popular China International Clothing and Accessories fair CHIC has confirmed its move from Beijing to Shanghai. In 2015, it will be held from 18th to 20th March at Hongqiao

exhibition center that is currently being built. It will run concurrently with Intertextile Shanghai and share the new 400 square meter space.

The organizers claim that they are acting on exhibitor suggestions and want to take advantage of Shanghai’s logistics and infrastructure.

Apart from the move, CHIC has also shortened its duration and time and will be held on three days instead of four in the middle of March.

CHIC Shanghai: bigger, shorter, different

CHIC also wants to attract more exhibitors, thus the move to a bigger space will help (the new Beijing exhibition center only stretches over 100,000 square meters). A reorganization may also be on the cards to accommodate distinct styles, which would make the fair more European. The country pavilions and division of the fair into womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, leather and fur will remain the same though.

„We’re thinking about how to make the fair more attractive. Retail is developing in China. Before, people came to CHIC, to find franchise partners or representatives. But the number of multi-brand stores is growing. Thus, we’ll try to find more multi-brands, department stores and online retailer,” explained Chen Dapeng, president of CHIC and vice president of the China National Garment Association.

For Beijing, the announcement no doubt comes as a shock as previously, Intertextile and Premiere Vision decided to turn their backs on Beijing in favor of Shanghai as well. Novomania, Interfilière and The Micam are Shanghai fairs as well. Though the official China Fashion Week is held in Bejing, Shanghai holds its own fashion week, thus rivalling Beijing.

Shanghai got its nickname as the ‘Paris of the East’ as far back as the 1930s due to its orientation toward international culture that was also visible in the fashion world. While Shanghai is considered the commerce capital, Beijing stands for culture and government; one is steeped in modernity, one in history. Even today, Shanghai seems to be more mainstream and logo-driven while Beijing’s fashion-conscious tend to be edgier and more avant-garde. Put simply, while Beijing’s fashionistas try to stick out, those in Shanghai try to blend in.

In terms of the age old rivalry between the two cities, there currently seems no end in sight. And that may not be a bad thing as both are mainland China’s two most important cities with their own distinct styles that play out in the fashion world as well.

Photo: Shanghai (Dimitry B.)