Feng Chen Wang on 10 years in fashion and ‘Chinamaxxing’ before it was cool – interview
The Chinese-born designer, who had Virgil Abloh as a mentor, just celebrated her brand’s 10th year at Shanghai Fashion Week
Behind the scenes at menswear brand Feng Chen Wang’s 10th anniversary show at Shanghai Fashion Week, amid the sound of camera flashes going off every second and the overpowering smell of hairspray, the first thing that strikes me is the vibrant range of hair colours on display.
One model’s hair is white as snow; another is of a fiery red hue. A third one has strands in an electric shade of blue. Everyone looks eccentric, but no one feels out of place. All the models appear radically different in their outfits and corresponding attitudes, but in the world Wang has crafted here, everybody feels like they belong.
The intimate backstage moments are somehow less frenetic than I’d expect from a runway show. Maybe it’s because the models appear genuinely comfortable in what they have on – everything from incredibly technical deconstructed jumpers and jackets to more classic trench coats – with little complicated fitting or finishing touches required.
Wang has built her brand on this language of “deconstructed construction”. There is also a focus on breaking down traditional gender norms and dress codes to come up with something new. It’s luxury that’s actually wearable and doesn’t feel restrictive. It’s also modern, even as it incorporates traditional techniques from her heritage.
The Chinese-born designer, who splits her time between London and Shanghai, was named Visionary of the Year at the Shanghai Fashion Designer Association’s inaugural New Wave Fashion Awards. The initiative counts Dior and Moncler as backers, and the awards ceremony took place during Shanghai Fashion Week, which wrapped on April 1.
“It’s a new start, rebirth, as well for myself as the brand,” Wang says from her pop-up inside Shanghai’s historic Gibb, Livingston & Co building, home to an important foreign trading firm back in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is also where her ongoing 10th anniversary celebrations are taking place. It’s been a full-on few days; the pop-up is timed to coincide with Shanghai Fashion Week.
Meanwhile, the fall/winter 2026 show, titled Life and Love and taking inspiration from Wang’s graduate collection at the Royal College of Art in London, was led by a series of performances by dancers, a DJ and a spray-paint artist. Outerwear, layering and volume were key ideas borrowed from the graduate collection – only now the output is significantly more mature.
A decade on, the brand feels as fresh and relevant as ever. “You can see the material, craftsmanship – everything comes together in a new way,” says Wang.
The designer debuted a complete womenswear line this season, which builds on the fluidity of fabrics, silhouettes and tailoring used in her menswear. The line-up dissected the many dualities that make Wang such a fascinating designer, by mirroring masculine and feminine, East and West, as well as past and present. Some models walked the runway in pairs in a literal interpretation of this concept. Others donned mirrored looks, with voluminous silhouettes offsetting sleek suits. The “changing room” installation at the show also featured a revolving mirror, which honours the “journey of memory” Wang embarked on to create this collection; the designer says she looked at her younger self compared to the woman she is now.