Shanghai Design Week (SHDW) has set an ambitious goal to transform Shanghai into a world-class design capital by 2030, according to an announcement made during an event at London Fashion Week.
The Shanghai municipal government aims to achieve this by fostering the growth of the creative design industry. Currently estimated at 1.6 trillion RMB (€ 205.5 billion or US $ 219.3 billion) in output for this year, they have set a target to reach 2 trillion RMB by 2025, anticipating double-digit annual growth. SHDW, created in 2013 by The Shanghai Commission of Economy and Information Technology, plays a central role in realizing this vision.
The exhibition titled ‘Design to Wonderland,’ featured 33 multi-disciplinary design brands across 168 displays, including five global launches. These brands offer valuable insights into recent design and consumption trends in China.
Located in London’s iconic Chinatown, this installation is part of the World Design Cities Conference 2023 (WDCC2023) and was hosted by the China Exchange, a cultural charity founded by David Tang. The exhibition will run until 29th September in London and will be followed by a second edition in Shanghai from 26th September to 2nd October, just ahead of Shanghai Fashion Week.
This event is significant as it marks the first overseas fashion and design event from China in London since the end of the Covid-19 lockdown, with the aim of strengthening ties with the British capital. Steve Lau, co-chief executive officer of SHDW, expressed their main goal as “to take design from China out and bring design in.” It also marked the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the London Design Festival to foster a partnership between the creative economies of the two countries.
Steve Lau reiterated the role of Shanghai Design Week, stating, “We are the platform to promote the design industry. We are open to collaborations and submissions from all countries—whether it’s investment or projects. We want to transform the city into a world design city, and fashion is very much one of the five critical pillars.”
