Milan in Kunshan launches furniture fair and design exhibition

XC Show, a new furniture fair and design exhibition, has launched in Kunshan, China. This event takes place on the campus of Chenfeng Group, a major apparel company, and is timed with Shanghai Fashion Week. Kunshan is located about an hour from downtown Shanghai. The XC Show is designed to connect fashion and design. Not Showroom, the parent company of the event, aims to help multibrand retailers expand into lifestyle and home goods markets. Ying Zhang, founder of Not Showroom, explained that many retailers are interested in offering a more aesthetic range of products. The Kunshan campus is expanding and plans to become a creative hub within the next two years. This hub will focus on new lifestyle trends through education and commercial projects. The exhibition showcases 60 designer furniture brands, including both established names like Cassina and emerging designers. The “Flair in Focus” exhibition is part of the show and features 37 Chinese design labels. Guo Jiacheng, a co-founder of the design platform Manifesto, notes that many designers start as passion projects. To enhance the experience, several architecture firms have created unique interior scenes to display the works. Guo explained that while established fairs exist, the market lacks a consumer-friendly design fair. Not Showroom has also collaborated with Ikea to turn furniture into artworks that reflect Ikea's design philosophy. This initiative will preview an upcoming design award from Ikea. In addition to the events in Kunshan, Not Showroom will host a fashion wholesale business in downtown Shanghai. This features 21 selected brands, including notable names like Yuhan Wang and Tommy Zhong. The projects highlight a growing trend towards lifestyle integration in the fashion and design sectors.