Kim Shui
Established · $200–$400 · New York, United States
Qipao collars, brocade and lace reworked as going-out clothes, downtown New York's answer to unapologetic sensuality.
Think: Eclectic prints, bold silhouettes, daring fusion.
The buy: the silk qipao mini dress
What to buy
the silk qipao mini dress
Categories
Occasions
Why Kim Shui is worth it
Kim Shui turns qipao collars, brocade and lace into going-out clothes, a New York take on Chinese tradition with real nerve.
The pieces borrow from the qipao and the cheongsam, with mandarin collars, knotted pankou closures and silk brocade, then cut them short, sheer or corseted for a night out. Silk charmeuse minis, boned lace bodices, velvet qipao minis and brocade corset gowns sit side by side, and many pieces are made to order, which keeps the runs small.
Kim Shui picks
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Is now a good time?
About Kim Shui
Kim Shui, born in the US and raised in Rome, founded her label in New York in 2016 and showed at New York Fashion Week that same year.
She began it as a kind of resistance, taking parts of herself others had shamed, her Chinese heritage and her femininity, and turning them into joy. Silk minis with qipao collars, brocade and lace became her signature.
- Founded
- 2016
- Founded by
- Kim Shui
- Based in
- New York, United States
- Made of
- Silk charmeuse, silk-cotton brocade, silk organza, stretch velvet, lace and mesh
- Shipping
- Bought through Revolve, US orders ship free in 2 days with free returns (30 days for a refund, 60 for an exchange); direct from Kim Shui, full-price returns are accepted only within 3 days of delivery, at your own shipping cost both ways.
- Where to buy
- Kim Shui on Revolve · Our Kim Shui picks
What shoppers say
From reviews and try-on videos, in our words.
- Shipping
We send readers to Revolve for Kim Shui: US orders ship free in 2 days from within the US, so there are no import duties, and returns ship free with a prepaid label.
- Returns
Through Revolve you have 30 days from shipment to return a piece for a refund and 60 days for an exchange; a few heavily discounted pieces are final sale.
- Buying direct
On Kim Shui's own site, full-price returns are accepted only within 3 days of delivery, you pay shipping both ways, a restocking fee may apply, and sale pieces are store credit only.
- Made to order
Many pieces on the brand's own site are pre-order or made to order and ship in two to four weeks.
- Best sellers
The brand's own best sellers are its unlined silk charmeuse minis with a qipao collar and a denim-brocade qipao mini.
What Kim Shui is made of
Kim Shui doesn't list fiber content, like “100% silk”, on most of its product pages, so we can't say what its pieces are made of. We checked 252 pieces in October 2026.
Kim Shui in our edits
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If you like Kim Shui
The buy: the striking maxi dress
Australian going-out dresses with bold, dramatic shapes, party pieces built to command the room.
The buy: the leopard mini dress
Party-first dresses and tops in bold leopard and sequins, made to order to turn going out playful.
The buy: the pipa-knot cheongsam
Cheongsam-inspired evening gowns and party dresses with hand-tied pipa knots, Hong Kong heritage meets modern drama.
The buy: the bodycon knit dress
Statement dresses and bodycon knits in bold prints, built for the woman who wants sleek-sexy with attitude.
Kim Shui, answered
- What is Kim Shui?
- Kim Shui is a New York womenswear label known for silk qipao-collar minis, brocade, lace and corsetry that rework Chinese motifs for going out.
- Is Kim Shui a good brand?
- Yes. We like it for a point of view all its own: Chinese tradition rebuilt as party clothes, in silk charmeuse, brocade and lace with hand-knotted pankou closures, from an independent designer who debuted at New York Fashion Week in 2016.
- Who founded Kim Shui?
- Designer Kim Shui founded it in 2016. She was born in the US and raised in Rome.
- Where is Kim Shui from?
- New York City, where the designer started the label after growing up in Italy.
- What is Kim Shui made of?
- Mostly silk charmeuse, silk-cotton brocade, silk organza and stretch velvet, plus lace and mesh.
- Where can I buy Kim Shui?
- Through Revolve, where we send readers because US shipping and returns are free and you get 30 days to return, against three days on the brand's own site. Our Kim Shui picks link there too.
- Does Kim Shui ship internationally?
- Yes. Through Revolve, international orders over $100 ship free, with duties prepaid at checkout; within the US, 2-day shipping and returns are free. The brand's own site charges $50 to $80 to ship abroad, by weight.
- Which brands are like Kim Shui?
- If you like Kim Shui, look at Eliya The Label, Noni Studios, Sau Lee and Ronny Kobo.