Shenzhen-Milan Twin Cities Fashion Week Kicks Off in Grand Style
Digital and Smart Longhua "Weaves" a Bridge for Global Fashion Dialogue
On the evening of July 17, the 2026 Shenzhen-Milan Twin Cities Fashion Week (hereinafter referred to as “Twin Cities Fashion Week”), themed “Digital and Intelligent Fashion: An Eastern Expression,” kicked off in grand style at the Dalang Fashion Town in Longhua District.
The opening night kicked off with *Overture of Two Cities*, a performance featuring Cantonese opera, the Ao fish, and international supermodels. The lively and dynamic Ao fish “leapt” onto the stage, gliding gracefully across it. According to legend, the Ao fish is the transitional form of the carp before it leaps through the Dragon Gate to become a dragon. It symbolizes transformation, progress, and good fortune, signifying the pinnacle of success and a bright future. The Cantonese opera performance presented by Zeng Xiaomin’s team seamlessly blended traditional Cantonese opera aesthetics with the style of international supermodels, offering a refreshingly new experience.
With a “Flying Apsaras” screen and a light show, brands from China and Italy took the runway together in a dazzling display; multiple memorandums of understanding were signed on-site; and ten cutting-edge fashion technology scenarios were unveiled. renowned singer Ado performed “Born to Drum,” the Dong Ethnic Group Children’s Choir from the rural town of Kaili in Guizhou sang “Echoes of the Valley,” and young dancer Alman Ainiwar presented the dance “Echoes of the Earth,” creating a spectacular fashion extravaganza that seamlessly blended Eastern aesthetics with digital and intelligent technology.
In recent years, Longhua District has been committed to leveraging digital technology to empower the fashion industry and using ecological initiatives to drive industrial development. In 2024, the inaugural Shenzhen-Milan Twin Cities Fashion Week successfully kicked off, and the event is now in its third edition. Building on the sustained collaboration and two-way engagement between Shenzhen and Milan, the Twin Cities Fashion Week has evolved from a single fashion event into a multilateral industrial cooperation platform and a key driver for the upgrading of the fashion industry.
Wang Wei, Vice Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government and Secretary of the Longhua District Party Committee, stated: “Looking ahead, Shenzhen will continue to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Milan, transforming the Twin Cities Fashion Week into a never-ending platform for creative presentations, a hub for industry collaboration, and a window for mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations.”
Tommaso Sacchi, Deputy Mayor of Milan; Qian Qile, Deputy Consul General of the Italian Consulate General in Guangzhou; Maria Rosa Azzolina, President of the Italy-China Foundation; Francesco Mora, Mayor of Pellezzano, Italy, and President of ANCI Campania; Pang He, Ambassador and Consul General of Peru to Guangzhou; Lin Jie, Chairperson of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC); Lei Biao, Standing Committee Member of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the CPPCC and Deputy Director of the Economic Committee; Wu Hong, Deputy Director-General of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology; Shuang Dehui, Deputy Director-General of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Commerce; Zeng Xiaomin, Full-time Vice Chairperson of the Guangdong Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles; Zhang Ling, Member of the Standing Committee of the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee and Head of the Publicity Department; Zhang Hua, Vice Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government; Wang Wei, Vice Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government and Secretary of the Longhua District Party Committee; Wu Yihuan, Vice Chairperson of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; as well as leaders from relevant municipal departments, the four leading bodies of Longhua District, the Guizhou Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Laoshan District of Qingdao City, Chaoyang District of Shantou City, Huicheng District of Huizhou City, Zijin County of Heyuan City, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s Shenzhen Representative Office, and the Jinjiang City, Fujian Province Office in Shenzhen, as well as representatives from various fashion industry associations, apparel and fashion brands, designers, media representatives, fashion influencers, and elites from all walks of life attended the event.
Runway Highlights
Art Director
Artistic Director of “Digital and Intelligent Fashion: The Gravitational Field of Eastern Expression”
Digital and Intelligent Fashion: A Field of Attraction for Eastern Expression
“Digital and Smart Fashion: A Field of Attraction for Eastern Expression,” with Eastern aesthetics as its foundation, technological innovation as its driving force, and industrial transformation as its guiding principle, will showcase a selection of representative exhibits—including apparel and accessories, jewelry, lifestyle aesthetics, smart wearables, digital interaction, and intangible cultural heritage crafts, organized into four major thematic sections to systematically showcase the integration of Shenzhen’s fashion industry with Milan’s design resources. Guided by the philosophy of “fashion as form, technology as framework, and culture as soul,” the exhibition unfolds the “Fashion Silk Road” of Eastern lifestyle aesthetics through five chapters. Interactive experiences, such as loom operation and intangible cultural heritage workshops, are also featured on-site, allowing visitors to engage with a fashion lifestyle that is visible, tactile, and immersive.
Digital and Smart Fashion: A Journey of Exploration and Connection
From July 17 to 19, guest representatives from Italy, Peru, Malaysia, South Korea, and other countries and regions visited several fashion companies, technology firms, cultural venues, and historic districts in Longhua District. Through on-site visits, live exchanges, and industry matchmaking, they gained an in-depth understanding of the latest achievements in Longhua’s fashion industry, technological innovation, and cultural development, thereby further expanding opportunities for international exchange and cooperation.
Several international guests noted that this “Exploration and Connection Tour” not only provided them with an in-depth understanding of Longhua’s achievements in fashion, technology, and culture, but also allowed them to personally experience Shenzhen’s open, inclusive, and vibrant atmosphere of innovation. Longhua’s development approach—which emphasizes using technology to empower industries and culture to spur innovation—offers valuable insights for international cooperation and creates broad opportunities for deeper exchanges and collaboration in the future.
Event Schedule
The 2026 Shenzhen·Milan Twin Cities Fashion Week is rooted in Eastern aesthetics, centered on fashion, empowered by technology, and grounded in culture. Through its “Five Ones” core framework—comprising “1 thematic grand fashion show to set the tone, 1 special dual-city exhibition to define the event, 1 China-Italy/Asia-Pacific industry matchmaking event to foster collaboration, 1 design co-creation initiative to solidify results, and 1 series of citywide supporting events”— it will bring to life a fully integrated experience encompassing “diplomatic engagement, fashion presentations, industry matchmaking, immersive experiences, and citywide fashion,” creating an international extravaganza that seamlessly combines official diplomatic interactions, targeted industry matchmaking, and citywide immersive participation.
