When Spanish influencer Helena Cuesta posted a photo of herself wearing a pink, silk jacket with blue jeans, it quickly caught the attention of her followers. The stylish jacket, which features a straight-button front, drew many compliments, with people curious about the designer.

The chic piece from the Spanish brand Amlul reflects a rising trend in Western fashion, where Chinese features such as the Mandarin collar, frog buttons and symmetrical fronts are appearing in 2026 collections.

Arguably, this most recent iteration of the trend can be traced back to October, when Adidas Originals launched its "Chinese New Year" jacket — also referred to as the "Tang" jacket — at last year's Shanghai Fashion Week.

Initially sold exclusively in China, the limited edition track top quickly gained traction on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

It became part of a viral "Chinese three-piece" on social media, alongside Pop Mart's Labubu figurines and hit hip-hop track Da Zhan Hong Tu by Lan Lao and AR.

By the 2026 Spring Festival, the highly sought-after jackets, priced at around 1,000 yuan ($146.48), had sold out across most of China. People from overseas flocked to purchase them, with some online resellers, like StockX, listing them for as high as $488 each.