Tifaret Debuted Solo on the London Fashion Week Evening Schedule with SS26 Collection “PAI TOU”

On 20th September 2025, Tifaret made its evening schedule debut at London Fashion Week SS26, unveiling PAI TOU, a collection that explored Shanghai docklands’ elegance, grit, and global exchange.

Designer Chiyue Dai drew upon memories of her mother, one of the first women to enter Shanghai’s international trade during the 1990s. As a child, Chiyue absorbed the atmosphere of the docks — shipping routes, imported goods, and whispered tales of piracy — experiences that became the foundation of this season’s narrative.

The PAI TOU collection bridged Shanghai and London, two port cities defined by their docks and cultural intersections. Taking inspiration from 1930s Shanghai, where sophistication coexisted with grit, Dai presented a wardrobe infused with dualities: Chinese and tropical florals, cargo pants, sailor tailoring, and Victorian-inspired silhouettes.

The collection touched on Shanghai’s layered history — from architecture and business to its hidden undercurrents of brothels, opium dens, and piracy. Delicate references to sex workers’ pyjama uniforms sat alongside luxurious fabrics echoing faded opulence, creating a dialogue between vulnerability and decadence.

Through a blend of Victorian curves and Chinese flat-pattern cutting, garments revealed space between fabric and form, resulting in layered pieces that were both emotionally charged and historically resonant.

Founded by Chiyue Dai, Tifaret is a womenswear label that takes its name from the Tree of Life in glima, symbolising beauty and balance, and was partly inspired by the heroine of Final Fantasy VI.

A graduate of the London College of Fashion, Dai began her career as assistant to Avsh Alom Gur, later working as a print designer at Pierre Balmain, the Asian sub-label of Balmain.

After her London debut in 2024 with the Fashion Scout China collective, and a successful showcase at Ontimeshow in Shanghai, Dai returned to London in February 2025 with her first solo show. Her SS26 evening debut cemented Tifaret’s position as one of the most promising womenswear voices bridging cultural heritage with contemporary design.