In July 2026, the Shenzhen-Milan Twin Cities Fashion Week kicked off once again.

From Shenzhen in 2024, to Milan in 2025, and back to Shenzhen in 2026, this fashion dialogue between two cities spanning Europe and Asia has now been held for three consecutive years.

| 2024 Shenzhen Exhibition Venue |

| Milan Exhibition Hall 2025 |

Over the past three years, experts, scholars, and industry representatives from the fields of design, fashion, and industry have continually gathered in Shenzhen and Milan to discuss design innovation, industrial collaboration, and cultural exchange, making Longhua’s role on the international fashion stage increasingly prominent.

Looking back, what insights from the two “dialogues” between the two cities are worth reflecting on? We’ve summarized the remarks of six panelists—let’s hear how they interpret Longhua’s expression of fashion and how they view the collaboration between Milan and Shenzhen.

Academic Director of the 2025 Twin Cities Fashion Week Exhibition 

Stefano Antinari

Shenzhen demonstrates a forward-looking cultural vision, while Milan boasts a rich cultural heritage; the combination of the two will open a new chapter of development for both cities.

In 2025, during Milan’s hosting of the event, more than 100 innovative products from Shenzhen were showcased at the centuries-old San Vittore church complex. In Stefano’s view, the cities of Shenzhen and Milan each have their own strengths: one brims with innovative vitality, while the other boasts a rich heritage. This collaboration between the two cities is not merely a cultural exchange; it is a joint exploration of the future of design, technology, and fashion.

Looking at major design capitals such as Paris, Milan, and New York, each has its own distinctive characteristics and strengths. Shenzhen’s strength, however, may lie in its ability to translate the language of technology into the language of design, thereby enriching and diversifying the fashion landscape and its applications.

Former President of the World Design Organization

Luisa Bocchedo

Shenzhen, particularly Longhua District, is at the forefront of the fashion design and manufacturing industries and is playing an increasingly important role in the global supply chain.

As a major hub for Shenzhen’s fashion industry, Longhua is home to industrial platforms such as the Dalang Fashion Town, which brings together more than 700 fashion companies and has fostered a development ecosystem that integrates design and R&D, smart manufacturing, and brand cultivation.

In Luisa’s view, this industrial foundation has also enabled Longhua to steadily increase its influence within the global fashion supply chain, making it increasingly important.

President of the Italian Cultural Association

Angelo Argento

This event is of great significance in promoting cultural exchange and integration between the East and the West. It is not only a subtle connection between robots, embroiderers, and the threads used in clothing, but also a meeting between Italy and China, serving to build a bridge between the two nations.

When technological innovation meets traditional craftsmanship, and future trends collide with intangible cultural heritage, the result is not only a fresh visual experience but also a profound dialogue between different cultures.

In Angelo Argento’s view, the Twin Cities Fashion Week not only showcases the innovative achievements of China’s tech-driven fashion industry but also builds a bridge of mutual understanding and appreciation between Shenzhen and Milan, as well as between China and Italy. The Twin Cities Fashion Week connects not only two cities but also facilitates the exchange and mutual learning between two cultures and two innovative philosophies.

Member of the Lombardy Regional Council, Italy

Barbara Mazali

The collaboration between Shenzhen and Milan was a natural development. Last year (2024), we witnessed the vitality of Eastern design in Shenzhen, and this year (2025), during the Twin Cities Fashion Week, we look forward to further driving innovation in the global fashion industry through this collaboration between the two cities.

Barbara has participated in the Twin Cities Fashion Week for several years in a row; she has visited Shenzhen and welcomed guests from Longhua in Milan. Her description of it as “an inevitable step” speaks to her appreciation for Shenzhen.

Chinese Fashion Designers 

Founder of Yizhi Hui Fashion Group

Zhao Huizhou

Fashion is never just about clothes; it connects cities, cultures, and people—and that is precisely the significance of the Twin Cities Fashion Week.

As a participant and witness to three editions of the Shenzhen-Milan Twin Cities Fashion Week, Zhao Huizhou views fashion as a “bridge”—a deep, emotional connection that links people to people, nations to nations, and cultures to cultures, one that is visible, perceptible, and tangible.

Chairman of the China Industrial Design Collaborative Innovation Platform

President of the Shenzhen Industrial Design Industry Association

Feng Changhong

If we consider Shenzhen’s first participation on behalf of China in the 100% Design exhibition in London in 2011 as “Design Going Global 1.0,” then this (2025) Fashion Week—which integrates technology, design, art, humanities, and intangible cultural heritage—marks the beginning of the “2.0” era of going global.

From taking products to the global market to jointly bringing design concepts, cultural expressions, and industrial collaborations to the international stage, Feng Changhong views the Twin Cities Fashion Week as a new phase in international exchanges in China’s tech-fashion sector.

The fusion of diverse elements—including technology, design, art, the humanities, and intangible cultural heritage—also highlights the ever-expanding development chain of Longhua’s fashion industry. All of these factors have enriched the concept of Longhua’s “Technology-Driven Fashion Going Global.”

Once, Longhua was a learner; today, it is a valuable partner. Eastern aesthetics are no longer merely for appreciation; they have entered the global industrial chain—where they can be designed, developed, disseminated, and consumed.

Fashion-Forward Wisdom, Expressed in an Eastern Style.

From Shenzhen to Milan, and then back to Shenzhen. The Twin Cities Fashion Week not only serves as a platform for international exchange and cooperation but also continues to expand the scope for dialogue between China’s tech-driven fashion industry and the rest of the world.

See you in Longhua in July 2026!