Like many fellow designers in Shanghai, Haizhen Wang has been focusing on the business side of fashion beyond the runway. During a preview of his new collection, he explained how he drew inspiration from the 1980s—especially the bold inverted triangle silhouette with sharp, broad shoulders and a cinched waist, a trend that dominated fall shows from New York to Paris.

Wang isn’t just a designer; he’s a true craftsman. His take on this iconic style wasn’t just about its pop-culture references (think Working Girl) but about reimagining its structure. The shoulder detailing stood out—his jackets were cut wide but subtly curved at the natural shoulder line, accentuating the body rather than drowning it in fabric. For outerwear, like a loose cheetah-print coat paired with a skirt in a contrasting shade, he softened the shoulders instead of exaggerating them. This balanced the sleek, elongated coats, which were tailored slim but featured sharp peak lapels to keep the retro feel intact.

To add depth and temper the formality of the collection, Wang revisited a fabric he created a decade ago while living in London—a city map print, now reworked as a striking acid-washed denim with a distressed jacquard finish. His designs naturally belong on the runway, but it’s been impressive to see him adapt his talent so effortlessly to a more commercial approach.