The spring 2026 collections began in Shanghai on October 10, but it was Jingwei Yin’s Oude Waag show on Saturday night that got things going at full throttle. In the two years and change since Vogue Runway started covering Shanghai Fashion Week, Yin has gone from a breakout name to top-billed talent on the calendar. Chalk that up to the high-octane glamour of his runway presentations, which often help rev up the pace here, and his fantastic dresses, which have started making their way stateside. Charlize Theron wore a set by Yin for an appearance at Jimmy Kimmel Live! earlier this year.

His success has had Yin thinking about leveling up; backstage after his show he spoke of challenging himself. Some particularly strong experiments included a pair of straight-line crepe skirts that were connected to hip-revealing silk mesh waistbands, and other dresses and blouses that swaddled the body around sheer body suits. Elsewhere, Yin deftly draped and shirred georgette as capelets and tops that burst outward from collars, which gave the collection a dynamic feel and helped soften the overall look.

Having so quickly established his signatures—a showroom manager here reported that buyers are now quick to recognize the Oude Waag cut and feel—Yin has been hard at work fleshing out the more commercial side of his label. Notably that meant streamlining his tailoring, keeping his slim and sharp shoulder but simplifying the design to make for a more believable and wearable silhouette.

Yin also said he tasked himself with creating something completely new, which entailed employing a more structured satin for silhouettes he described as “more architectural and like sculptures flowing in the air.” That much was true; the duo of closing dresses gave new shape—pun somewhat intended—to Yin’s hallmark techniques. Most of all, they carved out a space Yin should develop further; seeing the away-from-the-body shapes was a very welcome surprise.