“The appreciation for product design in China is at a turning point,” muses Ross Urwin, co-creative director of Design Shanghai, one of the largest exhibitions of homegrown and international design talent in Asia. So it was of no surprise that the event drew some of the design industry’s largest names – Marcel Wanders, Jaime Hayon and Arik Levy to name a few – to the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, a stunning neoclassical landmark where the second edition of the four-day event was held.

The fair brings together local designers and brands with global names and creatives to celebrate their differences, parallels and commonalities.

This year, highlights included the Bally-sponsored 6x9 Jean Prouvé demountable pavilion, which was designed in collaboration with famed Swiss architect Pierre Jeanneret and housed a specially commissioned sculpture, ‘Equip’ by Wang Yuyang. The Chinese artist created a dynamic and thought-provoking ‘East meets West’ dialogue on the aesthetics and philosophy of the legendary modernist designers and architects of the 1950s.

China’s up-and-coming talent was out in full force at the AD China Design Shanghai Emerging Designers showcase. “The calibre of next-generation Chinese talent has grown incredibly, and many graduates who are returning after studying abroad are setting up some really interesting brands,” says Urwin. “They are embracing contemporary design with a similar relish as they did art 10 years ago.”

Urwin also notes that the demand for local talent is on the rise, with a real focus on heritage craftsmanship in the Chinese design industry: “It is essential that the homegrown design community showcase their skills and innovation to regional and international audiences.”

Shanghai-based Amber Xiang’s store The Beast created an extraordinary concept café that transported visitors to a fantasy forest filled with over 200 sakura flowers, 300 willows and 500 purple magnolia trees.

Scotland’s Method Studio was another standout, with their beautifully hand-made Malt Vault whisky travel case. The husband-and-wife duo Callum Robinson and Marisa Giannasi, a master cabinet-maker and architect respectively, hand-create stunning bespoke pieces for the likes of Fortnum & Mason and denim specialists Denham.

What can we look forward to next from the burgeoning city? “Next year will be bigger and better, with a more interactive show that extends the content to the community,” says Urwin.

We will see you there.