Maison Margiela targets Chinese market with Shanghai show and four exhibitions

Maison Margiela has inaugurated its first show outside of Paris in Shanghai. The brand is also launching a road trip across China, combining collections, exhibitions and activations.

“This is the first time we have held a show outside of Paris,” Glenn Martens, artistic director of Maison Margiela, told FashionUnited in Shanghai. “The brand entered China in 2019, so it was really important for us to do it properly.”

Unveiled on April 1, 2026, during Shanghai Fashion Week, the autumn/winter 2026/2027 show presented both the ready-to-wear and Artisanal collections, some pieces of which will never be produced. Maison Margiela's founding codes are celebrated and revisited: the bianchetto white; the fusion of fabrics; the assembly of disparate materials; and the anonymity of masks.

This will be followed on Thursday, April 2, by a presentation of the artisanal collection, menswear and womenswear ready-to-wear, and the autumn/winter 2026/2026 pre-collection.

Celebrating house codes to optimise development in a growing market

In Shanghai, the show is accompanied by an initial exhibition on the pedestrianised Yan Dang road (Huangpu district). This will be followed by three others.

This unprecedented show in China marks the start of MaisonMargiela/folders, twelve days of exhibitions and activations in four Chinese cities: Shanghai; Beijing, with “Anonymity: Our History of Masks” (from April 7 to 12); Chengdu, with “Tabi: Collectors” (from April 9 to 13); and Shenzhen, with “Bianchetto: Atelier Experience” (on April 11 and 12).

All these events are open to the public without an appointment, with the exception of “Bianchetto: Atelier Experience”. On site, employees dressed in the famous white coat explained the house's codes to visiting passers-by.

“It connects with what Martin did to be in tune with reality: free markets, shows open to everyone. We try to reproduce this through our travelling exhibitions,” adds Martens. “I have already been to China three times for work. This time, however, I fully intend to enjoy my weekend in Beijing.”