2026/2027 SEASON · GLOBAL CALL FOR ENTRIES

Let young designbe seen.

A global fashion and design competition for secondary-school students, connecting school-based creativity, portfolio development, professional review and Shanghai Fashion Week-related platforms.

Individual and school group registration is now open

Registration closes15 DEC 2026 · 23:59

Preliminary works due31 DEC 2026 · 23:59

China Standard Time · UTC+8

120+schools worldwide

400+inaugural high-school participants

30%+award rate

1995national-level competition founded in Shanghai

THE 2026/2027 EDITION

Four creative disciplines. One future-facing stage.

The new season expands Fashion Design, Fashion Illustration and Fashion Accessories with Digital Character & Virtual Fashion Design—opening a space where young ideas can move between physical and digital worlds.

Fashion Design

Build a distinctive fashion proposal through concept research, cultural inquiry, material thinking and visual development.

Fashion Illustration

Use drawing, digital media, printmaking, collage or mixed media to tell visual stories about style, identity and our time.

Fashion Accessories

Explore new possibilities between artistic expression and making through scale, structure, materials and ways of wearing.

04New track

Digital Character & Virtual Fashion Design

Create original digital characters, virtual personas and future-facing looks across character systems, digital worlds and motion.

2026/27

Competition essentials

Eligibility: Students worldwide in Grade 8–12 / Year 9–13, Foundation Year or an equivalent secondary-school stage. Special curricula may be reviewed by the Organising Committee.
Preliminary entry fee: Individual entry: RMB 750 per student per track. School and institution group entries are calculated in the official portal.
Submission format: A principal PDF of no more than 30 pages is recommended. Up to 3 files, 80MB each; supplementary MP4/MOV video may be up to 3 minutes.
AI boundaries: AI may not be used to create or prepare entries in Fashion Design, Illustration or Accessories. The digital-character track may use disclosed AI assistance, while core ideas and final decisions must remain student-led.

View competition charter ↗Open registration portal ↗

OFFICIAL TIMELINE

From this moment to the global stage of Shanghai Fashion Week.

JUN 2026

Charter & registration launch

The new-season charter, four competition tracks and official portal go live.

JUL—DEC 2026

Briefings & creative guidance

Ongoing briefings, Q&A sessions and creative support for students, teachers and schools.

15 DEC 2026

Registration closes

Complete individual or group registration by 23:59 (UTC+8).

31 DEC 2026

Preliminary submission deadline

Upload all preliminary-round materials by 23:59 (UTC+8).

JAN—FEB 2027

Review, finalists & development

Preliminary review and finalist announcement, followed by final-round development.

MAR 2027

Final & Awards Ceremony

Online presentations lead into runway, exhibition, digital showcase and awards during a Shanghai Fashion Week-related programme.

THE LEGACY

Founded in 1995. Reimagined for a new generation.

Founded in Shanghai in 1995, the China Cup International Fashion Design Competition has connected Chinese design, emerging creativity, fashion education and industry for more than three decades. Its high-school chapter brings that professional legacy to younger creators.

Not a one-off judgement, but a journey from research and ideas to works, portfolios and the stage.

1995China Cup founded in Shanghai

30+years of fashion legacy

2026inaugural high-school final

China Cup and Shanghai Fashion Week AW2026 event identity

INAUGURAL EDITION · SHANGHAI

The inaugural high-school edition

The inaugural final took place at the Sihang Warehouse creative venue on 28 March 2026 as part of China Cup’s Shanghai Fashion Week AW2026 official programme. Fashion works entered a professional runway while illustration and accessories were presented in exhibition.

SELECTED JURY · INAUGURAL EDITION

Perspectives from education, design and industry.

The inaugural jury brought together more than thirty experts from China and overseas. The profiles below represent that first edition; the full 2026/2027 jury will be announced separately.

Wu Xuekai

Chair of the Inaugural Jury; Vice Chairman, China Fashion AssociationA Golden Top Award-winning senior fashion designer committed to original Chinese design and emerging talent.

Shao Feng

Chairman, Shanghai Fashion Industry Development Center; Secretary-General, Yangtze River Delta Fashion Industry AllianceFormer Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Fashion Week Organising Committee and a long-term advocate for Shanghai's fashion ecosystem.

Li Jun

Dean, Shanghai International College of Fashion and Innovation, Donghua UniversityA researcher and educator focused on sustainable fashion and international collaboration.

Dong Yang

Assistant Professor, Fashion Institute of Technology, USATeaches luxury entrepreneurship and fashion marketing with a learning-by-doing approach.

Yingting Cheng

Chief Operating Officer, Mainland China & APAC, Istituto MarangoniBrings experience across cross-cultural education, fashion management and international partnerships.

Shirley Wu

Principal, MakeUpForEver AcademyA senior fashion educator with two decades of experience in luxury-industry talent development.

MEET THE JURY

China Cup Jury Across Editions (Selected)

More distinguished jury members to be announced

Jury Chairs

Ding Yi

Artist and pioneering figure in Chinese abstraction

Wu Xuekai

Vice Chairman, China Fashion Association; Golden Top Award-winning designer

Selected Jury Members

Bian Xiangyang

Vice Chairman, China Fashion Association; Director, Shanghai Fashion Capital Promotion Center

Chen Peng

Design Director, CHENPENG; costume designer for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony

Yingting Cheng

Chief Operating Officer, China & Asia Pacific, Istituto Marangoni

Gu Yeli

Founder, Ontimeshow

Hong Boming

CEO and Creative Director, K-BOXING

Huang Xiaomian

Chinese contemporary sustainable artist

Jiang Qiong'er

Co-founder, SHANG XIA; contemporary artist

Li Hongyan

Founder and Creative Director, HELEN LEE

Li Lun

Design Director, LILY

Lin Jian

CEO, SHITANG Showroom Shanghai

Liu Yanjun

Creative Director, JUNNE; consultant to the PH Value Knitting Competition

Liu Yong

Golden Top Award-winning designer

Lü Yan

Founder, COMME MOI

Ou Minjie

Founder, RICOSTRU

Ti Zhe

Design Director, Balabala

Wang Haizhen

Founder, HAIZHEN WANG

Wen Qingzhu

Founder, ISABELLE WEN

Leaf Xia

Founder, LEAFXIA

Yang Yingying

Founder, TUYUE; artist

Ye Qizheng

Founder, DADASHOW and Guanchao

Yin Jianxia

Co-founder, UOOYAA

Zhuang Xiaojun

Founder and Designer, Shanghai Weilai Meihao Trading Co., Ltd.

Dr. Leng Jian

Dean, AIVA International Academy of Art

Fang Ting

Producer and Host of Teaching with Direction, Dragon TV

Shirley Wu

Principal, Make Up For Ever Academy

Dong Yang

Assistant Professor, Fashion Institute of Technology, USA

Weiqi Zhu

Vice President, UTAN Group; CEO, Arttention Business Management

SELECTED WORKS

When young ideas step onto a real stage.

Across fashion, illustration and accessories, inaugural works turned culture, the body, materials, social observation and future thinking into distinctive young design languages.

Five selected inaugural award-winning works in each category