How to Exhibit at a Shanghai Fashion Trade Show — A Guide for Korean Designer Brands
CBSR ·
Shanghai hosts fashion trade shows such as MODE Shanghai and ONTIMESHOW twice a year, in late March and early October, during Shanghai Fashion Week. A Korean designer brand can apply to the organizer for its own booth, join a collective showroom run by an operator, or take part through a fashion institution’s showroom or support program. CBSR handles both collective showroom and standalone booth participation, from application through post-show buyer follow-up.
The fashion trade shows held in Shanghai
MODE Shanghai is the official trade show of Shanghai Fashion Week. At the 2027SS edition, held October 8–12, 2026 at Jing Yao Hongqiao T2 in Changning District, more than half of the exhibiting brands came from overseas, and international buyers including Galeries Lafayette and Saks Fifth Avenue visited the show.
ONTIMESHOW is a trade show launched in 2014 that is on the official Shanghai Fashion Week schedule. Its two most recent editions (AW2026 and SS2027) were held at West Bund Art Center in Shanghai. The two shows run during the same period, but they are separate events with different organizers and venues.
When they run — twice a year, one season ahead
A trade show is where buyers place orders before the goods reach stores. The spring show therefore presents that year’s fall/winter (F/W) collections, and the autumn show presents the following spring/summer (S/S).
Recent MODE Shanghai dates were October 9–13, 2025 for 2026 S/S, March 25–29, 2026 for AW2026, and October 8–12, 2026 for 2027SS. The 2027 F/W season is expected in late March 2027; the official dates for ONTIMESHOW 2027 F/W had not been announced as of November 10, 2026.
Three ways to take part
The right choice depends on the brand’s size, budget and overseas show experience.
- Standalone booth — the brand exhibits under its own name and handles preparation and operation itself. Parts that are hard to do alone, such as booth design and construction or on-site operation, can be handed to a show management agency.
- Collective showroom — several brands exhibit together as one showroom. The Busan Showroom and Busan Collective that CBSR operated at MODE Shanghai are examples.
- Institutional showroom or support program — a fashion institution or local government selects brands and exhibits with them. At MODE Shanghai 2027SS, the Korea Fashion Association’s K-fashion showroom LEDOME, Gyeonggi Fashion Creative Studio and Daegu Fashion Lab took part (as reported by International Textile News).
The steps when exhibiting through CBSR
CBSR runs the period from about two months before the show until after it closes as a single process.
- Application and 1:1 consultation — send a brand introduction and contact details; CBSR gets in touch to discuss the right show, format and cost.
- Confirmation — participation is confirmed after the consultation and the organizer’s screening.
- Pre-show consulting — from about two months before the show, the brand prepares its branding, overseas marketing and buyer conversations.
- Advance buyer matching and on-site operation — CBSR introduces the brand to buyers before the show using its data on about 10,000 trade show buyers, then handles booth operation, interpreting and order meetings on site.
- Post-show follow-up — CBSR analyzes the results and keeps the conversations with buyers going.
CBSR’s record in Shanghai
In October 2025, CBSR made its first appearance at MODE Shanghai 2026 S/S as the Busan Showroom with eight Busan designer brands, recording more than KRW 300 million (about RMB 1.55 million) in buyer consultations.
In March 2026 (AW2026) it operated the Busan Collective Showroom (booth F3-06) with four brands, and in October 2026 (2027SS) it took part with two showrooms, Busan Collective and Daegu Fashion Lab, and eleven brands. Both were among the ten showrooms featured by Shanghai Fashion Week.
For the 2027 F/W season, CBSR is accepting applications from brands that want to exhibit together at ONTIMESHOW.
Frequently asked questions
How do I exhibit at a fashion trade show in Shanghai?
Apply to the organizer for a standalone booth, join a collective showroom, or take part through a fashion institution’s showroom or support program. If you apply through CBSR, it advises on the right show and format, then handles pre-show consulting, booth operation, buyer matching and post-show follow-up.
Can a brand with no overseas show experience take part?
Yes. For the eight Busan brands that joined CBSR’s Busan Showroom in October 2025, it was their first entry into China. Branding and buyer-relations training starts about two months before the show.
How much does it cost to exhibit in Shanghai through CBSR?
The fee depends on the format (collective showroom or standalone booth) and booth size, so it is not published as a single figure. CBSR quotes it for each brand in consultation after the application.
CBSR is accepting applications from Korean designer brands that want to exhibit together at ONTIMESHOW in Shanghai for the 2027 F/W season.
ONTIMESHOW 2027 F/W application guide