French fashion house sashays down runway into Chinese market

A chic, fashion-forward crowd, strikingly out of place against an industrial backdrop, convened on April 1 at a sprawling container yard near Baosteel on the outskirts of Shanghai.

The colorful containers were artfully arranged to form a winding, labyrinth-like runway where Maison Margiela presented its 2026 fall/winter show.

The audience, divided into groups, sat in open-sided containers. Haute couture pieces were presented alongside ready-to-wear items that will be available in stores globally.

The models' faces were obscured by masks made from various materials, some transparent while others were opaque.

Porcelain was creatively interpreted this season. Craftsmen adhered porcelain shards to mannequins, shattered them, and then re-embedded them onto haute couture dresses. Some classically tailored prototypes were deconstructed: tailcoats had their tails removed or were painted with Bianchetto white. Edwardian influences permeated the collection, with high collars, exaggerated sleeves, lace trims, and elongated hems.

It is the first time Maison Margiela, founded in Paris in 1988 and which entered China in 2019, has held a fashion show in China. Renzo Rosso, the Italian founder of OTB (Only The Brave) Group, which Margiela belongs to, said after the show that China is a country they very much believe in.

"The luxury industry is suffering a lot at the moment, and the only possibility for success is to partner with the Chinese market. This is why we decided to hold the show in Shanghai," he says.

Gaetano Sciuto, CEO of Maison Margiela, says, "We felt Shanghai was the right place. China is a very important market for us. Shanghai is a city that has both heritage and the memory of the past, and it is fashion-forward, which is like Margiela."

As for the location choice, Sciuto says the team visited Shanghai three times to see 10 locations.

"I think the show speaks for itself. We're unconventional luxury. We don't follow trends or patterns. We really believe that luxury is inclusive," he says.

"The container yard is industrial, and basically the opposite of what we do. We are artisans and craftsmen. This opposition between the industrial and craftsmanship really shows that Margiela thinks differently and tries things that have never been done before."

Following the show, Maison Margiela is hosting a series of exhibitions in four cities, each celebrating the fashion house's distinct codes: Artisanal in Shanghai, Anonymity in Beijing, Tabi in Chengdu, Sichuan province, and Bianchetto in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

Artisanal is the haute couture line. Visitors to the Shanghai exhibition will see 58 looks and experience how the garments, shoes and accessories have been handmade in Paris ateliers.

The Tabi exhibition will run in Chengdu through Monday. First introduced in its 1989 debut show, the Tabi shoe remains Margiela's defining code. The exhibition celebrates the global community that has embraced Tabi as a form of individual expression.

In Shenzhen this weekend, visitors are invited to transform an item from their own wardrobe with the Bianchetto white paint treatment alongside the Margiela Atelier team.

The exhibition in Beijing, Anonymity: Our History of Masks, is postponed.

Maison Margiela enjoys presenting events in different cities because it believes that each city has distinct clientele and consumer preferences.

"We chose Shanghai because it's a fashion hub. Then we chose Chengdu because it's a vibrant, young, fashionable city to exhibit our Tabi, an iconic product. We will take the cultural approach in Beijing because it's a city rich in history and theater from which masks also come. And then we transcend into technological innovation. Shenzhen is a city that transforms innovation in technology," Sciuto says.

Sciuto says the four exhibitions are Margiela's way to engage local consumers.

"China is no longer a market to come here and sell, but a market to embrace and engage with," he says.

"Chinese marketing is changing quickly. Consumers used to buy big logos, but now, they seek self-expression, authenticity and transparency.

"Chinese clients are becoming more interested in value than products. They don't just buy items, but want to understand what the brand stands for. Through the exhibitions, we open our archives to people to see the inspiration behind our DNA or codes."