EP YAYING Weaves Tradition and Modernity at Shanghai Fashion Week

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On March 25, Chinese fashion brand EP YAYING set the stage for Shanghai Fashion Week’s opening show with a collection dedicated to the theme of “elegance.” Hosted in the city’s bustling Xintiandi district, the event drew a crowd of fashion insiders and cultural figures, including brand ambassadors Tang Yan and Du Juan. More than a showcase of seasonal designs, the presentation signified a broader dialogue between tradition and modernity, reinforcing EP Yaying’s evolving partnership with Shanghai Fashion Week and reflecting China’s growing confidence in shaping its own fashion identity.

The show opened with a nod to EP YAYING’s signature floral motif—the peony—reimagined in collaboration with Suzhou embroidery master Zou Yingzi, a recognized inheritor of China’s national intangible cultural heritage. Garments in deep purples and rich hues came to life through traditional techniques, including intricate dyeing, embroidery, and hand-applied beading, bridging artisanal heritage with contemporary aesthetics. As the collection unfolded, silhouettes inspired by the ethnic patterns of Guizhou’s Qiannan region emerged, reflecting the brand’s deconstruction of cultural codes. Working with Miao embroidery artisan Yang Jinqiu, the brand incorporated raw silk from Daliang Mountain, yak wool from Aba Prefecture, and cashmere from Alashan, transforming ancestral craftsmanship into a vision of relaxed, modern femininity.

The collection’s finale returned to the core idea of “elegance,” reinterpreted as a fluid, contemporary philosophy rather than a rigid sartorial form. Traditional silhouettes took on a lighter, more versatile structure, offering a vision of Eastern craftsmanship adapted to the evolving lifestyles of today’s women.

Beyond the runway, EP YAYING extended its storytelling into yajing (雅境), an immersive art installation accompanying the brand’s Fall/Winter 2025 showcase. In collaboration with digital artist Cao Yuxi—renowned for his work as the visual effects director of the Beijing Winter Olympics opening ceremony—the brand introduced Pollen Pixels, a generative digital installation that reimagined the peony’s symbolic essence. Through a particle-based system, the flower’s life cycle—its growth, bloom, and dissolution—was reinterpreted as an evolving digital landscape. Suspended above the runway, the peony no longer appeared as a static emblem but as a fluid, ever-changing entity, mirroring the vitality of contemporary femininity.

If Ya Jing redefined Eastern iconography through digital expression, yayue (雅乐) presented a cross-disciplinary dialogue in sound. The show’s musical arrangement paired electronic musician Li Xin with Kunqu opera artist Zhang Ran, intertwining the pulsating rhythms of electronic music with the melodic cadences of classical Kunqu. Modern dancers moved through the space, their fluid gestures bridging the gap between past and present—not in opposition, but in a shared moment of resonance.

From digital imagery to live soundscapes and the rhythmic movement of models in yaxing (雅行), EP Yaying’s Shanghai presentation crafted a multisensory narrative of Chinese aesthetics, where the peony—both real and virtual—bloomed at the intersection of heritage and innovation.

EP YAYING’s storytelling resonates with today’s Chinese consumers who are rediscovering and embracing their heritage. “Chinese consumers are actively redefining what luxury means—moving away from Western status symbols toward homegrown cultural aesthetics,” notes the Luxury Through a New Lens: 2025 Jingzhi China Vision Report.

For 36 years, EP YAYING has pursued the philosophy of “creating great garments through culture and expressing culture through great garments.” By synthesizing traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design and technology, the homegrown fashion company continues to push the boundaries of Made in China, shaping a new paradigm for fashion’s global future.