Asia Fashion Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 33 Week of 22 September 2025
(1) Cartier opens its largest store yet in Asia
Cartier has opened its largest store yet in Asia, in Tokyo’s upmarket Ginza retail district.
(2) Pioneering Fashion Brand’s “Runway Show with Performance”: China’s No.1 Live Fashion Brand” UR Achieves New Global Breakthrough
On September 23, URBAN REVIVO (UR), China’s leading trend-setting fast fashion brand, teamed up with Tmall for the third time to launch a spectacular Super Brand Day fashion gala at Shanghai’s 1862 Fashion and Art Center.
(3) Giant greetings: The 7m Labubu welcomes travelers at HK Airport
A 7-meter-tall Labubu statue debuted at Hong Kong International Airport on September 22, featuring the iconic character wearing an “HKG” shirt and symbolizing the city’s creative spirit.
(4) Is ‘Safaricore’ fall’s biggest Xiaohongshu trend?
“Safaricore” is emerging as the most prolific fashion trend of fall 2025. The trend encompasses beige and brown color palettes, loose shirting, suede boots, animal prints, and fur accents.
(1) Cartier opens its largest store yet in Asia
(Photo Credit: Supplied)
Cartier’s new flagship store in Tokyo occupies four floors of the Hulic Ginza Sukiyabashi Building, featuring a facade designed by Klein Dytham Architecture (KDA) that draws inspiration from traditional Japanese fabrics and artwork. The exterior showcases layered geometric fan patterns, blending contemporary architectural language with subtle cultural references to create a distinctive streetscape presence in Ginza.
The interior continues the Japanese aesthetic with stone flooring and an origami-inspired ceiling that evokes traditional umbrella structures, housing product zones for jewellery, watches, accessories and fragrances interspersed with works by local artists. The store includes salon and garden-themed relaxation areas, while the top floor features private “Residences” for exclusive events, combining retail with experiential spaces that reflect Japanese craftsmanship and hospitality traditions.
This flagship opening follows Cartier’s recent duplex boutique launch in Bangkok designed to blend Thai heritage with the brand’s craftsmanship, demonstrating the luxury conglomerate’s strategy of embedding local cultural elements into its global retail expansions. Both projects highlight Cartier’s focus on creating culturally resonant flagship experiences that transcend conventional retail spaces while maintaining the brand’s signature aesthetic coherence across international markets.
News Source: https://insideretail.asia/2025/09/23/cartier-opens-its-largest-store-yet-in-asia/
(2) Pioneering Fashion Brand’s “Runway Show with Performance”: China’s No.1 Live Fashion Brand” UR Achieves New Global Breakthrough
(Photo Credit: UR’s “Reflected City” show)
UR, China’s leading trend-setting fast fashion brand, partnered with Tmall for its third Super Brand Day gala at Shanghai’s 1862 Fashion and Art Center, themed “Playing with Fashion, Defining Your Own Style.” The event featured UR Global Brand Ambassador Zhong Chuxi, musician Henry Lau, vocalist Faouzia Ouihya, and brand friends including Chen Hongyi and Lin Muran. A landmark moment saw UR certified by Euromonitor International as China’s No.1 trend-driven fast fashion brand in both retail sales and store count, solidifying its industry leadership.
Breaking from traditional runways, UR debuted an industry-first “singer + runway show” model, blending live music with fashion for a multisensory avant-garde experience. The show unfolded in three chapters—”Urban Vogue” (structured office wear), “Playful Whimsy” (soft weekend styles), and “Midnight Safari” (bold nocturnal designs)—capturing urban lifestyles from day to night. Custom-designed outfits, such as Zhong Chuxi’s caped ensemble and Faouzia’s white gown, harmonized with performances, enhancing the narrative of city life.
Guided by its “Born Global” strategy, UR leverages a worldwide design ecosystem—with synchronized centers in Asia and Europe and 500+ designers—to blend international trends with local cultural elements. The event underscored UR’s shift from “product globalization” to “aesthetic globalization,” aiming to steer fast fashion from scale-driven competition to value-driven innovation. UR plans to continue building a globally resonant fashion language that integrates design, culture, and experiential depth for consumers worldwide.
News Source: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pioneering-fashion-brands-runway-show-with-performance-crossover-performance-chinas-no1-live-fashion-brand-ur-achieves-new-global-breakthrough-302566194.html
(3) Giant greetings: The 7m Labubu welcomes travelers at HK Airport
(Photo Credit: The Standard)
Standing at an impressive 7 meters tall, the beloved character Labubu made a spectacular debut on September 22 at Hong Kong International Airport, welcoming both residents and travelers with its iconic smile. The grand opening ceremony unveiled the largest Labubu installation — the King Mon — in the departure hall, where the giant figure donned a white shirt emblazoned with “HKG.”
Cissy Chan Ching-sze, Executive Director (Commercial) of the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), emphasized the organization’s commitment to supporting art development, especially the local creative industry. She expressed gratitude to renowned local illustrator Kasing Lung for designing a special 18 cm figurine exclusively for the airport, hoping it would promote the city’s vibrant artistic spirit alongside the character’s growing appeal.
Popular Cantopop singer Hins Cheung King-hin also attended the opening ceremony, revealing his long-standing affection for Labubu. “I have been a Labubu fan for a while. I especially styled my outfit with Labubu designs today,” he said. Describing Labubu’s grin as a blend of cuteness and mischief, Cheung encouraged the public to maintain a childlike spirit much in life, much like the character.
Since Hong Kong is Labubu’s home, Cheung believed that exhibiting this character at the airport would foster a sense of belonging and familiarity for both locals and travelers. He also highlighted the growing presence of varied artists in Hong Kong, applauding how pop culture exhibitions are now more accessible in everyday life for the public. Labubu, part of The Monsters series of blind box figurines, has captured hearts across Asia with its distinctive appearance and playful personality.
News Source: https://www.thestandard.com.hk/hong-kong-news/article/312160/Giant-greetings-The-7m-Labubu-welcomes-travelers-at-HK-Airport
(4) Is ‘Safaricore’ fall’s biggest Xiaohongshu trend?
(Photo Credit: Jing Daily)
The leopard patterned, garish aesthetic of “mob wife” from this time last year is getting a bohemian upgrade in China for Fall 2025. Welcome to the new animal print season: “Safaricore.” Spearheaded by the success of luxury houses that are championing brown hues and utility-bohemia (Coach, Chloe, and Miu Miu), “Safaricore” is emerging as the most prolific fashion trend of fall 2025 on Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote), with more than 45.1 million views under the hashtag at the time of writing. Styled upon safari looks, the trend encompasses beige and brown color palettes, loose shirting, suede boots, animal prints, and fur accents.
The visual representation we see today as ‘safaricore’ has appeared many times in the past decades, especially the 1990s and 2000s, with different names like ‘nomadism’ (游牧风) or ‘wild leopard style’ (性感猎豹风). This return dovetails with broader macro-trends. “Quiet luxury,” which emphasizes neutral palettes and premium textures, notably primed consumers to embrace brown shades. For example, the Pantone Color Institute named Mocha Mousse (Pantone 17-1230) its color of the year for 2025, underscoring the market’s appetite for neutrals. Labels such as Miu Miu and Coach have also become synonymous with these hues over the past few seasons, setting the stage for “Safaricore’s” rise.
As fall gets underway, “Safaricore” appears well-positioned to gain traction in both the luxury and mass segments. Its versatility — equally at home in a Shanghai café as on a weekend hiking trip — makes it adaptable to Chinese consumers’ increasingly hybrid lifestyles. Outerwear, leather goods, and statement accessories are expected to see the strongest lift, offering brands across tiers a chance to tap into the aesthetic. Whether labeled as a revival or reinvention, “Safaricore’s” momentum reflects the increasing Westernization of Chinese Gen Z fashion. There is no Chinese version of the name trending — it’s the English label racking up tens of millions of reads.
News Source: https://jingdaily.com/posts/is-safaricore-fall-2025-biggest-xiaohongshu-trend
