The cross-continental program will mentor emerging Chinese designers in craftsmanship, innovation, and business strategy.
Key Takeaways:
- Initiative: Kering CRAFT (Creative Residency for Artisanship, Fashion and Technology).
- Partners: Kering and Shanghai Fashion Week.
- Scope: Residency program in Milan, Paris, and Shanghai.
- Objective: Cultivate globally minded Chinese designers and strengthen brand-building skills.
- Strategic Impact: Reinforces Kering’s investment in China’s creative economy and Shanghai Fashion Week’s international role.
Announced during the unveiling of the Kering Pavilion at the eighth China International Import Expo in Shanghai, the initiative is the first of its kind to unite craftsmanship, creativity, and innovation across cultures and continents. Designed to spotlight and accelerate visionary Chinese designers, CRAFT aims to foster dialogue between China and Europe in design, artisanship, and forward-looking business models.
Chief executive officer Luca de Meo described the partnership as an alignment of values and energy: “China is one of the world’s most dynamic innovation hubs, impressing with its remarkable creativity and speed. This vibrant creative energy perfectly aligns with Kering’s vision,” he said. “As we partner with Shanghai Fashion Week in this groundbreaking initiative, we are honored to play an active role in fostering international exchange in business, culture, and innovation.”
Through a rigorous selection process led by an international jury and organized with the Shanghai Fashion Designers Association, the program will identify emerging designers for a cross-continental residency curated by Kering. Spanning Milan, Paris, and Shanghai, the experience will combine craft and design training with exposure to the business realities of global luxury.
The initiative’s goal is to equip Chinese designers with the tools to build sustainable, globally minded labels — what Kering calls “glocal” brands: local Chinese houses with international reach and resonance. Ji Shengjun, director of the Shanghai Fashion Week Organizing Committee, noted that the collaboration follows the event’s guiding principle of “integrating local and international visions,” adding that the goal is to “build a platform that empowers local designers to engage globally, spark creativity, and strengthen brand-building capabilities.”
By creating new bridges between creative communities, CRAFT also reinforces Shanghai Fashion Week’s growing influence on the global fashion calendar. For Kering, the initiative encapsulates its broader commitment to innovation, cultural exchange, and sustainable growth across the fashion ecosystem — investing in the future leaders who will define the next chapter of Chinese luxury.
