As one of the key industry platforms in Asia, Design Shanghai is de rigueur for anyone who works on fusing form and function on and for the continent or is passionate about design. Once again in 2021, Audi is the main sponsor. Cooperating with the trade show makes perfect sense for a brand that was and still is defined by design. What’s more, China is one of the Four Rings’ key markets. "The theme of this year's trade fair - Regenerative design comes to China – and the world – is an excellent fit for Audi,“ explains Henrik Wenders, head of Audi Brand. "Audi is known for its outstanding design and is passionately committed to a more sustainable future.“ 

At the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, the carmaker is displaying how it has fused these two ideals to stunning effect in the shape of the Audi e-tron GT quattro. And that’s not all. At its booth as well as in a walk-through installation at the entrance to the exhibition grounds, Audi is stepping out in Shanghai together with Stella McCartney. The fashion designer has already played an active role in the launch of the Audi e-tron GT. Both the designer and Audi use forward-looking materials in their products. In keeping with the event’s theme of regenerative design which, in essence, advocates design with a positive impact, the pair aim to demonstrate at Design Shanghai how the fashion and automotive industries are striving for greater sustainability.

In Shanghai, Stella McCartney is presenting two items from the Falabella Go collection, which are created using ECONYL. This material incorporates regenerated nylon fibers from production waste, fabric and carpet scraps as well as old fishing nets. Along with other more sustainable materials, Audi also uses the recycled yarn, not only putting it to work by incorporating it into carpets and floor mats in the Audi e-tron GT quattro but also stretching it to form the exhibition booth around the gran turismo. 

In the walk-through installation in front of the trade show entrance visitors can experience the parallels between Stella McCartney and Audi in their use of the material, which is a building block on the road to net-carbon neutrality. 

Greater sustainability is no longer a niche pursuit, not even in China. Two experts—Yunzhou Wu , Coordinator Interior Design Audi China, and Yu (Scott) Zhao , Head of Innovation Research Audi—whose presentations at the showcase will address being more sustainable as a global trend and how it’s increasingly gaining traction in China, will drive this point home. They will demonstrate how the carmaker’s automotive design reflects greater sustainability through vehicle shapes and materials as well as the design process itself. In short, the topic permeates all facets of Audi—its participation in Design Shanghai alone is testimony to that.