Once a signifier of luxury or novelty, custom products and services are now within reach of the everyday consumer, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence, algorithm-led platforms, and the COVID-era digitisation boom. Today, everyone wants to be the main character of their brand experience.

What’s driving the new frontiers of fashion innovation? How are people handling the tension between fast fashion and sustainable attitudes? Why are non-Western identities reshaping style narratives? And how are personal autonomy and gender fluidity sparking change within the industry?

A decade after its inception, fashion label Shang Xia is beginning a new chapter by handing the reins over to Yang Li, an emerging domestic talent with a strong presence in the West. The goal is to win over Chinese locals who are quickly gaining spending power in the luxury market.

Chinese Gen Zers are expressing their fashion identities on social platforms, with research from Bilibili pointing towards increased heterogeneity. Video platforms are the new runways, and brands looking for emerging consumer trends would be wise to keep one eye on social.

It’s no secret that Chinese Gen Zers are leading the charge in patriotic purchasing, as the demand for traditional jewellery booms among the affluent. While China faces mounting political uncertainty, this is pushing young people to turn to their heritage as an anchor for security and confidence.