In fashion’s endless search for minute details to magnify and reinvent, the Chinese toggled closures known as pankou buttons are enjoying a resurgence, showing increased influence on luxury and premium labels ranging from adidas Originals to Lemaire.

Sometimes referred to as a “frog button,” this traditional fastener appears in diverse forms, but is almost always characterized by a small loop on one side and a bead or knot on the other. There are utilitarian variants, such as those found in 1930s workwear, and more decorative variants, like the ornate designs found in Chinese formalwear. Why, then, did this ancient clothing detail find contemporary appeal, and how is it being reinterpreted today?

The button’s international breakthrough as a mainstream trend roughly traces to 2025, when adidas Originals debuted its Tang jacket. This otherwise standard adidas track jacket, inspired by Tang suits, features knot-style pankou closures on top of the typical zipper. After gaining popularity as an Asia-exclusive, the jacket is making waves in the West, where the detail is showing up in inventive forms.

Sartorial Silhouettes, Eastern Influences

Like the adidas Tang jacket, interesting hybrid silhouettes are combining the pankou with Western details. At the Ralph Lauren FW26 show in Paris — the designer’s first men’s runway show in years — a black velvet tuxedo jacket featured ornate pankou closures. In more casual variants, the NYC-based label Sundae School has introduced the Hanbok Hoodie, featuring a diagonal pankou closure, and their new Teardrop Fleece boasts a singular pankou knot at the collar, as well.

The button’s design is functionally similar to the toggle closures found on duffle coats traditionally worn by European sailors. Much like a pankou, a duffle toggle features a loop on one side and an elongated button on the other. The fusion of these particular styles has served as a jumping-off point for several designers. 

Kenzo’s Fall 2026 collection, designed by NIGO, features a navy jacket with a single pankou closure, decorated with traditional motifs and Westernized by a large duffle button. Yohji Yamamoto’s FW26 runway show presented a similar combination of ornate pankou closures paired with oversized duffle buttons, as did Sacai, emphasizing the braided detailing through elongated forms.

These hybrid designs mirror the ways that the pankou has already been adapted by the West throughout history. In the 1930s, the pankou took on a simplified expression in deep blue work jackets, made to clothe Europe’s growing labor force. Eventually becoming prominent in France as “Bleu de Chine,” the chore coat-like style was reimagined by Lemaire in brown leather for its closing FW26 look.

Heritage-Led Innovation

While the pankou circulates globally, Chinese designers continue to recontextualize the heritage detail on their own terms. A prominent example in the global industry comes from CLOT, led by Chinese designer Edison Chen. In January 2026, CLOT collaborated with adidas for a Lunar New Year 2026 capsule, featuring a sneaker designed with pankou closures instead of laces and a new red Tang jacket.

In Paris, Shanghai/Milan-based PRONOUNCE presented a denim vest with pankou knots at the shoulder and a suede jacket with pankou-like toggle closures, among other heritage-inspired designs. Elsewhere, Paris-based Chinese designer Edmond Luu of Pièces Uniques created a Fall collection replete with pankou closures, incorporating the buttons into futuristic, tailored garments.

In an Instagram post, Luu described his collection, “Red Origin,” as “a tribute to the Hongbang tailors & my French savoir-faire; it reflects a dialogue between two worlds: Eastern sensitivity and Western rigor, tradition and modernity.” The designer’s emphasis on the duality in his designs speaks directly to the increased dialogue unfurling between Chinese and European fashion. 

Economics to Aesthetics

Amidst a shifting global fashion landscape, not only are Chinese brands entering the US market, but more European designers are partnering with Chinese brands to further their careers. According to Reuters, company filings and social media posts indicate that a host of Chinese brands opened their first U.S. stores in 2025, including Urban Revivo, Auntea Jenny, Chagee, Luckin Coffee, and Mixue. And in 2025, Kim Jones, formerly of Dior, joined the Shanghai-based brand Bosideng’s Areal line, and Kris Van Assche collaborated with Antazero, launching pop-ups throughout China and at Dover Street Market Paris.

It’s no coincidence that the pankou is gaining interest during an era in which the dialogue between Eastern and Western fashion is growing more robust, largely due to Asia’s expanding fashion industry. As Asian designers continue to stake their claim in the global market and European brands draw more inspiration from the region, the cross-cultural diffusion is poised to continue generating hybridized silhouettes and innovative aesthetics.