The Spring/Summer 2025 (SS25) China Fashion Week wrapped up in Beijing on Friday night with multiple award winners unveiled at the closing ceremony.
The Top Award for the 28th China Fashion Week, the Best Menswear Fashion Designer, the Best Womenswear Fashion Designer, and the 30th Top Ten Fashion Designers in China were announced at the closing ceremony.
The fashion week, which started on Sept 3, has attracted around 260 brands and more than 400 designers from several countries including the United States, Russia, Austria and Vietnam.
Over 160 fashion events were held during the fashion week, with the latest trends in menswear, womenswear, and a whole catalog of other eye-catching items on display at a series of special shows, fashion contests, and business exhibitions.
China Fashion Week is an important platform for designers from China and abroad to showcase their latest innovations and engage in a range of cultural and artistic exchanges.
Since its launch in 1997, it has moved in tandem with the development of China's fashion industry, bridging gaps between local designers and international markets for well over two decades.
China Fashion Week wraps up in Beijing with award winners unveiled
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
