“Taipei Fashion Week AW26” will take place from March 26 to 29. A pre-event press conference was held today (10) at the Showtime Cinemas ScreenX Theater in the Taipei Dome, adopting the concept of a “film premiere.” Through teaser-style visuals introducing participating brands, the event positioned brands and garments as the protagonists, using moving images as the narrative language to unveil the opening chapter of Taipei Fashion Week AW26. The press conference officially announced this season’s runway shows and related programs, while participating brands offered a preview of key pieces and shared their design philosophies and creative concepts for the season.
Distinguished guests attending the event included Wang Shih-ssu, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Culture; Lee Hsin-chieh, Section Chief of the Industrial Development Administration under the Ministry of Economic Affairs; Yang Chia-hsien, Division Chief of the International Trade Administration; Tsai Yi-ting, Senior Specialist at the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Taipei City Government; Chang Chi-yi, President of the Taiwan Design Research Institute; Chiang Hsia-pi, Director of Innovative & Sustainable Design at the Taiwan Textile Federation; and representatives of the participating brands.
In her remarks, Deputy Minister Wang Shih-ssu noted that Taipei Fashion Week has been held for eight years, and after facing numerous challenges and issues along the way, the platform is launching three major transformations this year to respond to the constantly evolving fashion market, the reshuffling of brands, and the shifting movement of consumers. First, the goal is to return energy and vitality to the brands themselves. Instead of maintaining separately branded opening shows as in the past, Taipei Fashion Week will “allow brands to express their own narratives directly through their shows.” Second, the platform will strengthen its role in industry mentorship, offering one-on-one guidance from professional advisors to help brands deepen their commercialization strategies. At the same time, “consumers will become a genuine driving force supporting fashion;” through the curated market that incorporate lifestyle brands, consumers will become a central pillar of Taipei Fashion Week and a key force sustaining the development of fashion.
“When AI is capable of replacing the vast majority of tasks, what ultimately remains of fashion?” Wang asked. As technology increasingly intervenes in fashion design, production, sales, and cost management—and as sustainability and environmental responsibility become defining priorities for the planet—the Ministry of Culture’s role as organizer of Taipei Fashion Week represents a commitment to emphasizing cultural narratives and subjectivity. These narratives address increasingly individualized and diverse consumer needs, “because distinct cultural identity is ultimately what enables brands to survive and endure in the market.” Wang added that throughout human history, fashion has served as a means of constructing self-identity. Through fashion—the most intimate form of expression—individuals communicate who they are and how they wish to be perceived by others. “Fashion is the expression closest to the true human self,” she said. The Ministry of Culture will continue working alongside brands, designers, and consumers to ensure that fashion remains a powerful means of preserving authentic self-expression.
According to the Ministry of Culture, AW26 marks the “first year of transformation” for Taipei Fashion Week. Guided by the visual concept of “Intersection and Convergence,” the platform is recalibrating its role to help designer brands articulate their aesthetic narratives more clearly while building systems and environments that enable them to continuously communicate, effectively connect with markets, and achieve sustainable growth. The ultimate goal is to create a more inclusive industry platform that supports long-term brand development.
In addition to the familiar runway shows, this season introduces “Presentation” and “Event” formats, following international fashion week trends. Designers are encouraged to select the presentation format best suited to their brand development stage and seasonal theme, allowing their concepts and viewpoints to be expressed more vividly and in closer dialogue with the market. The official website has also been completely redesigned, presenting information in a clearer and more comprehensive way. The four-day schedule is now integrated into a real-time digital portal that allows users to easily browse, understand, and follow the events. A detailed timetable helps participants quickly locate shows and plan their schedules, while dedicated pages for each brand enable audiences and industry professionals to quickly grasp the highlights and participation opportunities for the season.
This season features six runway shows and six presentations, showcasing twelve domestic and international brands: C JEAN, BOB Jian, JUST IN XX, Daniel Wong, TANGTSUNGCHIEN, Mizuiro ind, Yentity, LiyuTsai, #DAMUR, INFDARK, WEITZUYUAN, and WANGLILING. In addition, five brands—C JEAN, #DAMUR, JENN LEE, RAY CHU, and UUIN—will host supporting events between March and May, including exhibitions, pop-up sales events, workshops, and forums. These activities extend creative energy beyond the runway and into everyday life. The participating brands represent diverse styles ranging from minimalist design and sustainability-driven concepts to contemporary cultural aesthetics, demonstrating the breadth and depth of Taiwanese design and offering audiences a more layered viewing experience.
At the press conference, designers and brand representatives presented their creations while sharing the inspirations behind their work. Several brands drew inspiration from “Taiwan” itself. Designer Liyu Tsai noted that the brand has been rooted in Taiwan for 30 years, and has participated in all eight years of Taipei Fashion Week, making “time” a central concept for this season. The olive branch motif used in the garments symbolizes life, peace, and hope. Brands WEITZUYUAN and WANGLILING presented imaginative concepts combining Mazu with the sea god Poseidon, and island-inspired designs featuring Taiwan’s iconic “guardian mountain,” respectively.
For the menswear-focused brand TANGTSUNGCHIEN, marketing and PR director Tang Yi explained that this season’s designs reimagine the role of structure, presenting garments not merely as outward appearances but as entities that accompany the body and carry time and emotion. Tang Yi, marketing and PR representative of the menswear-focused brand TANGTSUNGCHIEN, said that this season’s designs reimagine the role of structure, hoping that clothing will not merely serve as an external form, but exist as something that accompanies the body and carries time and emotion. Chen Chia-jui, operations manager of the womenswear-focused brand Yentity, revealed a subtle detail hidden in the garments—an embroidered “angel number” 333, symbolizing a heartfelt blessing amid the chaotic realities of our time. INFDARK designer Kuo Wei presents a post-apocalyptic style after the end through the “trajectory” of design. Damur Huang, director of #Damur, introduced that this collection draws inspiration from the fluidity of water, exploring the transformation of desire and freedom. C JEAN designer Chien Chun-yuan noted that the brand has long been committed to translating traditional craftsmanship into contemporary design. This time, the brand collaborated with artisans from Kyoto, Japan, to develop fabrics derived from the thousand-year-old Kyoto craft of wax-resist dyeing, and the Japanese artisans will also visit Taiwan for exchange.
Beyond runway shows, brands presenting through the Presentation format are exploring new ways of engaging audiences. Daniel Wong, creative director of the Daniel Wong brand, said the format allows audiences to experience the brand’s design philosophy up close and to “step inside the designer’s mind.” BOB Jian will introduce Taipei Fashion Week’s first ticketed static exhibition format. Designer Bob Jian explained that the collection theme “What Remains” was inspired by the loss of an important family member last year. Through ten interconnected looks representing different emotions and stories, he hopes audiences will enter his narrative and bring their own imagination to it: “Let everyone feel that I have the strength to embrace them and give them strength. I believe they will also respond to me, giving me strength and power.”
To open up more points of entry for participation, AW26 has transformed the previously limited-access “public session” of the opening show into the “Live” streaming zone. This adjustment breaks through the seating limitations of individual runway shows, allowing more audiences not only to watch online but also to visit the on-site livestream area at any time according to their preferred designers and styles to view the latest season’s collections. In addition to expanding the scope of participation and the overall viewing experience, the initiative also aims to make Fashion Week feel more like an open field, further amplifying the energy of Taiwanese fashion.
The specially curated “Editor’s Pick Curated Market” adopts a magazine editor’s selection as its curatorial concept. Eighteen brands—including Basic Plus+, birphin, ccyeh, ERH, EVERYDAY OBJECT, fuuka., HUTCH ASAP, kirrei, maybo, noii noii, SYDNNI, Szövet Kották, tan tan, HooChuoo Breakfast, &.caker, FOURNINETINE BAKERY, Apāto Crafted, and Ikuiku Studio—will be featured. The market offers visitors the chance to closely observe design details, touch materials, and take their favorite items home in shopping bags. Through the market format, fashion is expected to move beyond mere “viewing” and be translated into lifestyle choices accessible to everyone, promoting the cultural participation and consumer imagination of the idea that “fashion is life.”
To ensure that design truly enters the realm of trade and international exchange—transforming creativity into market momentum—AW26 will host the “TAIPEI IN STYLE Tradeshow” at Warehouse No. 2 of Songshan Cultural and Creative Park. A total of 36 brands, including Taipei Fashion Week designer labels as well as Taiwanese apparel and accessories brands, will participate in the exhibition. During the event, international buyers will be invited to Taiwan for in-person sourcing, business negotiations, and collaborations. Through deeper engagement with the global fashion industry, the program seeks to expand overseas market opportunities while enhancing overall commercial benefits and brand value.
With the official launch of “Taipei Fashion Week AW26,” the Ministry of Culture invites everyone to visit Songshan Cultural and Creative Park from March 26 to 29 and experience this fashion celebration in the city at their own pace. Visitors can feel the energy of the runway in real time at the “Live” streaming zone, examine design details up close, touch fabrics, and take home favorite pieces from the Editor’s Pick Curated Market. They can also gain insight into the ideas behind design and the workings of the industry through exhibitions, workshops, and forums. Taipei Fashion Week aspires to be more than just a “show,” but a journey of style that people can step into, experience, and bring back into their everyday lives. Everyone is warmly invited to explore, feel, and support Taiwanese design, allowing each thoughtful design and well-crafted object to become a meaningful marker of style in daily life.