Authorized retail
Image: Songmont
Songmont
Luna Bag 月弯包
$219 to $569
Available directly from Songmont. MEI does not currently sell this item or earn a commission from purchases.
Read the Songmont profile →ISSUE 001 · SHANGHAI · BEIJING · CHENGDU · HANGZHOU · 6 CHINESE FASHION LABELS, NAMED IN CHINESE AND ENGLISH · MEI OBJECT 01: THE LONG COAT · 联袂 ·
Issue 001 · Cover story
© MEI 袂 · AI-generated
Shanghai now
Who decides what matters in Chinese fashion?
China has its own fashion ecosystem: buyers, editors, platforms, institutions and prizes that shape what gets noticed, stocked and worn.
Much of that system operates independently of the institutions that determine fashion reputations in Europe and North America. What reaches the West is rarely the whole picture. It is usually the part that travels best.
Four cities shaping Chinese fashion
Shanghai上海
Buyers, designers and fashion media
China's commercial fashion capital, where buyers, showrooms, press and independent labels meet.
Beijing北京
Institutions and cultural influence
Fashion shaped by art schools, cultural institutions, media and the capital's creative networks.
Chengdu成都
Street style and youth culture
A city whose relaxed, experimental fashion culture increasingly influences how young China dresses.
Hangzhou杭州
E-commerce, livestreaming and manufacturing
Where fashion retail meets livestream commerce, digital platforms and the production networks behind them.
Issue 001 · Contents
Seven stories on
contemporary Chinese fashion
Six features plus our Issue 001 cover story. Chinese labels, terms and sources are named in both Chinese and English wherever possible. Where something cannot be verified, we say so.
Prices checked directly with retailersMarket indexThe most popular fashion brands in ChinaAn index of the fashion brands attracting attention in China, from global luxury houses to domestic independent labels.6 verified brand records
Named in Chinese and EnglishChinese fashion stylesA guide to Chinese fashion aesthetics, and the words used to describe themFrom 新中式 to internet-born aesthetics, we separate established Chinese fashion terminology from labels that circulate mainly on Western social platforms.Five types of style language
Sorted by how and where the terms are usedStyle termWhat does “neo-Chinese style” actually mean?The clothes did not suddenly appear. The vocabulary changed. We trace how 新中式 moved from a relatively specific description into one of Chinese fashion's most widely used commercial terms.新中式 · 7,365 companies
A term that expanded rapidlyRadarWhich Chinese fashion is actually selling outMEI reads fifteen Chinese labels' own shop catalogues every day and ranks what is there by how fast it is selling through its sizes. No forecast, no editors' picks, and every row shows its arithmetic.15 catalogues · read daily
Ranked by sell-through, not forecastGlossary10 Chinese fashion terms worth knowingWhat the words mean, how they are used in China and what English-language coverage often misses.腋下包 · 国潮 · 松弛感
Updated 30 July 2026
The MEI guide to Chinese fashion language
Some fashion terms describe an established aesthetic. Others come from industry writing, commerce, social media or Western attempts to categorise Chinese style. MEI separates them rather than treating them as interchangeable.
Style guideChinese Fashion Styles: A Practical Guide/styles/A structured guide to the terminology used around contemporary Chinese fashion, including terms documented in Chinese-language fashion and industry sources and terms that circulate mainly on Western platforms.Term新中式Understanding neo-Chinese fashion/styles/neo-chinese-fashion/How 新中式 became one of the defining fashion terms of the past few years, and why its meaning keeps expanding.GlossaryChinese Fashion Words and Terms/chinese-fashion-glossary/Pronunciation, translation, context and examples for the vocabulary used across MEI.
Shop the issue
Objects from Issue 001
Three objects connected to this issue. Each listing explains who made it, where it can be bought and whether MEI has any commercial relationship with the brand.
Curated
Qiu Zhen
Vegetable-tanned classic hobo
Price not yet verified
We have not yet found a retailer we are confident recommending to international readers.
Read the Qiu Zhen profile →MEI object · Sample
MEI 袂
Object 01, the long coat
Not for sale
This piece will not be offered for sale until we can identify and document both the textile mill and the factory that produced it.
How MEI sells
MEI works with products in three ways.
- Authorized retail
- Products from labels with which MEI has a direct commercial agreement.
- Curated objects
- Pieces from independent makers that MEI selects and identifies clearly.
- MEI Objects
- Products developed under the MEI name.
Every product page states which category applies. We do not publish a selling price until both the product details and commercial terms are confirmed. Editorial coverage is produced independently of commercial relationships.
The watch register
A continuously updated register of Chinese handbag brands and individual bags worth knowing. Every entry explains why it made the list, identifies the retailer where we found it and records the price on the date it was checked. MEI does not sell the products listed in the Watch Register unless explicitly stated.
Images: Songmont · Amazing Song
Qiu Zhen 秋真
+ 4 more Chinese fashion labelsOpen the brand directory →Buying Chinese fashionBuying directly from a Chinese fashion brand can involve more than the listed price. Our guide covers international shipping, import duties, taxes, returns and the brands that currently ship directly overseas. Where possible, we calculate the estimated landed cost: what you are likely to pay by the time the item reaches your door.Know the cost before you order, not when the package arrivesRead the guide to buying fashion from China →