China's menswear sector seeks value-led growth at Shishi conference

The 2026 Shishi Fashion Industry Development Conference opens in Shishi city, southeast China's Fujian province, on April 18. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

The 2026 Shishi Fashion Industry Development Conference opened April 18 in Shishi, a city in southeast China's Fujian province, bringing together hundreds of industry leaders, experts, brand executives and channel representatives to explore growth opportunities in China's menswear and casualwear sectors.

The conference focused on how consumption upgrading, scenario-driven demand and channel transformation are reshaping the industry, and how companies can shift from scale-driven growth to value-led development.

China's menswear market is evolving but structural hurdles remain, with the sector held back by standardized products and supply chain friction as demand shifts toward tech-driven, scenario-based apparel, conference speakers said.

Organizers said hosting the event in Shishi — a hub for casualwear manufacturing with an established fashion ecosystem — reflects a push to address these challenges from within the industry.

Yan Yan, vice president of the China National Textile and Apparel Council , said China's apparel sector is maintaining a steady trajectory marked by increasingly nuanced market segmentation. Leading the growth are sportswear, outdoor and home-grown "Guochao," or national trend, brands.

The industry is pivoting from expanding capacity to capturing higher-value margins, moving away from supply-driven production toward innovation shaped by consumer demand, according to Yan. She also cited Shishi as a model for digital upgrading, textile research and development and supply chain integration.

Yang Jian, executive chairman of the China Fashion Association, said consumer demand is shifting from necessity-driven purchases to experience-oriented consumption. He said the association will continue to serve as a bridge between design and industry, and that its partnership with Shishi aims to strengthen the menswear and casualwear sectors through creative and cultural development.

Zhang Ziya, vice mayor of Shishi, said the city has grown over four decades from a small textile operation into a major industrial cluster. He said firms are now adopting AI-assisted design, flexible manufacturing and digital twin technology as Shishi seeks to shift from volume-based manufacturing to global brand development.

Two major initiatives were launched at the conference. The first is the preparatory phase for the Fujian representative office of the China Fashion Association, which will support talent development, trend forecasting and commercialization for the fashion industry across Fujian and the southeast coast. The second is a joint initiative with Douyin's e-commerce platform to help local businesses use digital tools to access the fast-growing interest-based e-commerce segment.

Promotional banners for concurrent industry events are seen at the venue of the 2026 Shishi Fashion Industry Development Conference in Shishi, southeast China's Fujian province, April 18. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

The conference was held alongside a series of industry events, including a textile and apparel expo, a global menswear supply chain exhibition, an e-commerce conference and the opening show of Shishi International Fashion Week.