The Shanghai-Based Designer Takes Visionary Of The Year As The Inaugural Prize Spotlights China’s Next Generation Of Talent
Chinese fashion designer Feng Chen Wang has been awarded the Visionary of the Year title at the first New Wave Fashion Awards. The ceremony was held on Monday afternoon at the W hotel in Shanghai.
Chen Sifan received the Public Impact award, while Moto Guo was named winner of the Future Force award. Both will be given a cash prize of 100,000 renminbi each. Wang will receive 300,000 renminbi as part of her Visionary of the Year win.
The New Wave Fashion Awards was established last October with the goal of promoting local creativity and assisting the growth of creative talent. Organizers sought to identify Chinese creative directors with significant future potential.
The awards are organized by the Shanghai Fashion Designer Association, which has renewed its efforts to support Chinese fashion’s expansion. The initiative receives financial support from Dior and Moncler.
This year, six finalists presented their brand philosophies and creative projects in conjunction with Shanghai Fashion Week for fall 2026. The group included Angus Chiang, 8on8, and Mayali, alongside the award winners.
In addition to the monetary awards, the three prize recipients will also gain access to industry mentorship. The judging and mentoring panel features senior leaders from Dior and Moncler, as well as designer Uma Wang, Commi Moi founder Lu Yan, and Labelhood founder Tasha Liu.
Wang, founder of the Feng Chen Wang label, announced her intention to use the prize money to develop a physical retail presence. “After completing the initial preparation and testing, we plan to find the most suitable time and location to launch our first global flagship store,” she said.
For her competition entry, Wang transformed a historical building near the Bund, formerly the premises of a tea trading company, into a pop-up retail space. The venue served tea-infused cocktails and showcased a selection of her brand’s top-selling items in a curated display blending Eastern and Western influences.
During Shanghai Fashion Week, Wang marked her brand’s 10th anniversary with a show that featured Under Armour garments, prompting speculation about a potential collaboration. The following day, she partnered with Apple for its 50th anniversary fashion show at the Jing’an Temple store, with notable Chinese celebrities attending the event.
On Monday, it was also announced that Wang is among ten designers selected for Kering’s new initiative in China, called CRAFT, which stands for Creative Residency for Artisanship, Fashion and Technology. This project aims to support and foster exchanges between Chinese and European creative communities, focusing on design, craftsmanship, innovation, and future business models.