China’s CHIC fair spotlights AI in apparel manufacturing

Artificial intelligence (AI) is moving beyond fashion design into flexible manufacturing and retail at CHIC Autumn 2026 in Shanghai, as apparel suppliers use digital tools to handle smaller orders and respond more quickly to changing consumer demand.

The China International Fashion Fair, known as CHIC, is being held from Tuesday to Thursday at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. The event brings together 738 exhibitors across 53,000 square meters of exhibition space, with more than 60,000 trade visitors expected.

The technology on display reflects a supply-chain model built around shorter production runs and faster turnaround times, rather than large orders planned far in advance.

In the fair's digital-technology exhibition area, an AI-powered virtual try-on screen photographs a visitor's face and generates an on-screen image of how selected outfits could look. The display offers a retail example of the technology's growing role in the apparel business.

The broader push goes beyond consumer-facing tools. Exhibitors are also showcasing AI applications in product development and flexible production, where brands and manufacturers are looking to better align design, sourcing and manufacturing with shifts in market demand.

CHIC's 2026 autumn program also includes industry sessions on AI-powered fashion design, digital transformation and e-commerce, highlighting the growing role of technology in China’s apparel supply chain.

China’s CHIC fair spotlights AI in apparel manufacturing

Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have prioritized military buildup and defense budget increases at the expense of public resources and residents' daily livelihoods, Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday.

The DPP authorities are pushing the Taiwan region's defense budget to a record high of 1.1225 trillion New Taiwan dollars (about 35.2 billion U.S. dollars) in 2027, surpassing 1 trillion New Taiwan dollars for the first time. Out of the proposed 3.9 trillion New Taiwan dollars total budget for 2027, defense accounts for nearly 29 percent, according to media reports.

"The mainstream public opinion in Taiwan society is to pursue peace, development, communication and cooperation. The Lai Ching-te authorities, driven by their own selfish interests and going against the overwhelming tide, have been desperately catering to and pleasing external forces, ramping up military buildup by squandering the hard-earned money of the public, which has greatly undermined the well-being of the people in Taiwan. They will eventually deplete Taiwan's resources and face an inevitable fate of downfall," Zhang said in response to a related question.

Taiwan's DPP authorities squeeze people's livelihoods for military buildup: military spokesman