The Shanghai Fashion Designers Association (SFDA) Creative Talent Program 'Act Two' unveiled the finalists of the First Edition New Wave Fashion Awards at the SFDA Designers' House in Shanghai last Friday, officially announcing six finalists selected for the first edition of the program.

The finalists are CHEN SIFAN by Chen Sifan, ANGUS CHIANG by Angus Chiang, MOTO GUO by Moto Guo & Kinder Huang, 8ON8 by Gong Li, MAYALI by Maya Li, and FENG CHEN WANG by Feng Chen Wang.

Supported by strategic partner DIOR and creative talent partner MONCLER, the awards launched an open call in Sept 2025. Breaking away from single-work-oriented evaluation, it centers on the "product, aesthetics, space" trinity. This brand-building logic focuses on creators' comprehensive capabilities across multiple dimensions, aiming to nurture multi-skilled talents suited to the role of the "next creative director".

The finalists' works span fashion, accessories and other fields, demonstrating the industry trend from "work-oriented" to "system construction."

As Lyu Xiaolei, executive vice-president of SFDA and secretary-general of Shanghai Fashion Week Organizing Committee, emphasized: "That's why SFDA aims not only to 'scout talent,' but also to 'accompany growth.' We launched this creative talent support program to build a long-term, systematic, and future-oriented training mechanism to help China's new generation of creative talents advance through sustained practice and move toward a clearer and more internationally oriented development path."

The final will take place during AW26 Shanghai Fashion Week in March. As co-founder Dan Cui explained: "In the final, the jury will continue to adopt the 'product, aesthetics, space' trinity comprehensive evaluation system, conducting in-depth and all-round discussions and evaluations across multiple dimensions such as the completeness of creative concepts and the extensibility of collections." During the final presentation, the designers will present systematic brand expressions alongside tangible spatial experiences, undergoing comprehensive evaluation by industry experts as well as the public.

Designed as a long-term support mechanism, the awards will provide dedicated funding, mentorship, and access to industry resources for the finalists and outstanding creative talents. The program aims to help China's young designers go global while contributing to the innovative upgrading of Chinese original design.