A Two-Day Cultural Program in SoHo
This May, SHAO presented SHAO x CHiNGLiSH WANG “MiSREADiNG”, a two-day cultural program in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month during New York Art & Design Week.
Held at 66 Greene in the heart of SoHo, the program brought together fashion, installation, language, and community through a dialogue between SHAO’s Autumn/Winter 2026 Collection and the work of artist CHiNGLiSH WANG. First shown in Shanghai, the AW26 collection arrived in New York through a new context, creating space for reinterpretation, cultural exchange, and close observation.
“MiSREADiNG” explored the act of looking again. Through text, garments, and installation, the project invited guests to move between languages, meanings, and visual cues, asking how identity and interpretation shift depending on who is reading, who is looking, and what is being seen.
The Private Preview
The first day opened with a private, invite-only event, welcoming guests into the world of “MiSREADiNG” in a more intimate setting. Throughout the evening, attendees moved through the space, viewing the garments, engaging with the installation, and spending time with the text-based works created in collaboration with CHiNGLiSH WANG.
A central part of the experience was the act of reading and re-reading. Guests were invited to look closely at Chinese characters and search for English words hidden within them. What first appeared as one language slowly revealed another, turning the installation into an interactive exercise in perception.
This process captured the spirit of “MiSREADiNG” itself. It was not about finding one fixed meaning, but about noticing how language, culture, and design can overlap, shift, and be rediscovered through attention.
The Public Pop-Up
On the second day, the program opened to the public as a pop-up experience. Visitors were invited to enter the space, explore the installation, view the AW26 collection, and shop the pieces in person.
The public pop-up brought a different kind of energy to the project. Friends, clients, creatives, and new guests came through throughout the day, experiencing the collection at their own pace. Some came to shop, some came to engage with the artwork, and others came simply to discover the collaboration in person.
By opening the space beyond the private preview, “MiSREADiNG” became a broader community moment. The garments, text, and installation were no longer only part of a presentation. They became part of a living conversation with the people who entered the space.
SHAO AW26: From Shanghai to New York
SHAO’s AW2026 Collection, first presented in Shanghai, formed the foundation of the event. Through layered tailoring, sculptural silhouettes, and a refined sense of contrast, the collection reflects SHAO’s ongoing exploration of structure, movement, and cultural perspective.
Presented in New York through the lens of “MiSREADiNG,” the collection took on new meaning. The garments were placed in conversation with CHiNGLiSH WANG’s work, allowing fashion and language to exist side by side. Together, they created a dialogue around translation, misinterpretation, and the beauty that can emerge when meaning is not immediately clear.
Pre-Fall 26 pieces are now available for pre-order here.
Fashion, Language, and Cultural Exchange
At its core, “MiSREADiNG” was about the spaces between understanding and misunderstanding. The collaboration used fashion and text as tools to explore how people read culture, language, and identity.
For SHAO, this project was also a way to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month through creative expression. Rather than presenting culture as something static, “MiSREADiNG” approached it as something active, layered, and constantly being interpreted. It invited guests to participate, to look closer, and to consider how meaning can be shaped by context.
The result was a two-day experience that felt both personal and communal. It honored heritage while making room for experimentation, curiosity, and exchange.
Thank You
We're incredibly grateful to everyone who joined us, supported us, and helped bring SHAO x CHiNGLiSH WANG “MiSREADiNG” to life. Thank you to every guest who attended the private preview, every visitor who came through the public pop-up, and everyone who took the time to engage with the work.
A very special thank you to our collaborators and partners:
Venue: @66greene
Producer: @tbhnn
PR: @repnyc
Photographer: @aana.create
Special thanks: @thecarpoolgroup, @plandy, @laeliatequila
Your creativity and support helped shape this program into something truly meaningful. Thank you again for being part of this moment with us.
We hope to see you again soon.
