Adidas taps well-worn trend, sparking fresh interest in 'New Chinese Style'

When Spanish influencer Helena Cuesta posted a photo of herself wearing a pink, silk jacket with blue jeans, it quickly caught the attention of her followers. The stylish jacket, which features a straight-button front, drew many compliments, with people curious about the designer.

The chic piece from the Spanish brand Amlul reflects a rising trend in Western fashion, where Chinese features such as the Mandarin collar, frog buttons and symmetrical fronts are appearing in 2026 collections.

Arguably, this most recent iteration of the trend can be traced back to October, when Adidas Originals launched its "Chinese New Year" jacket — also referred to as the "Tang" jacket — at last year's Shanghai Fashion Week.

Initially sold exclusively in China, the limited edition track top quickly gained traction on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

It became part of a viral "Chinese three-piece" on social media, alongside PopMart's Labubu figurines and hit hip-hop track Da Zhan Hong Tu by Lan Lao and AR.

By the 2026 Spring Festival, the highly sought-after jackets, priced at around 1,000 yuan ($146.48), had sold out across most of China. People from overseas flocked to purchase them, with some online resellers, like StockX, listing them for as high as $488 each.

A viral TikTok video titled "POV: your dad just came back from China" showed a man distributing the jackets in a range of colors to his family, garnering over 9.5 million views.

This trend quickly spread, with fashion-forward brands such as Ralph Lauren, Kenzo and Lemarie rushing to incorporate similar elements into their Fall/Winter 2026 shows and fashion influencers began posting pictures wearing items with Chinese elements.

Pairing effortlessly with jeans, satin trousers or puffy skirts, Vogue's WeChat account praised "New Chinese Style" as "incredibly versatile", seamlessly transitioning from casual to streetwear to elegant looks.

"New Chinese Style" is not new in China. It emerged at the start of the 21st century, gained momentum around 2015, and has been on an upward trend since 2021.

The term has no precise definition, but can be seen as combining traditional Chinese elements with modern design language.

Historically, some of these elements can be traced as far back as the Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century-11th century BC). However, compared with traditional clothing, which is often formal and ornate, "New Chinese Style" emphasizes simplicity and practicality for everyday wear.

The style opts for more accessible fibers, preserving quality while being easier to wear daily. It also features loose-fitting designs, adapting typically form-fitting garments like the qipao into more relaxed silhouettes.

Yang Jie, an associate professor at the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, said that Western luxury brands have long explored and incorporated Chinese elements.

In 1993, John Galliano introduced qipao-style clothing inspired by Chinese-American star Anna May Wong, and later drew inspiration from 1930s Chinese poster girls for the Dior Fall/Winter 1997 Haute Couture show. Other brands, including Jean Paul Gaultier, Prada and Armani, have also featured Mandarin collars, asymmetrical closures, or both, in their collections.

Compared with luxury brands, Adidas' coveted track jacket reaches a wider audience, Yang said.

He noted that the popularity of the Adidas jacket stems from its incorporation of a recognizable Chinese cultural symbol: the frog button. Yang recalled that years ago, an Italian friend, after visiting the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan province, asked where he could buy a Chinese coat featuring such buttons.

"New Chinese Style" reflects a shift in mindset among Chinese people — they are moving from being seen merely as subjects of aesthetic appreciation to becoming creators of their own aesthetic language.

"It's not simply a fashion trend," Yang said. "It speaks to shifts in the global landscape. As China's influence continues to grow, Chinese culture is becoming more visible and recognized around the world."

yangyangs@chinadaily.com.cn