Not yet the finished product
But while Shanghai's fashion scene has grown considerably through the years, the industry experts in attendance at SFW noted that there is still much to be done before Shanghai can be considered the world's fifth fashion capital.
"The products are of course important, but that is just one spectrum of the fashion system," said Capasa after the news conference.
"What is missing here in Shanghai is the image of fashion. Image is what aspires women to walk into the store and pay for a dress even though they already have a full wardrobe of it," he added.
In order to achieve this, Capasa said that Shanghai needs to be more open to international collaboration with photographers, stylists and artists.
"Creating image is hard work. It's not something you can walk into a store and ask to buy one kilogram of. Chinese investors are very generous when it comes to buying machines to produce clothes, but what the market needs are masterpieces," said Capasa.
On the other hand, Sara Maino believes that it is the lack of sales technique and the high prices of Chinese creations that have been hindering the progress of China's young fashion designers.
For years, small-scale production, the rising cost of labor in the domestic market and the lack of support have pushed many Chinese designers to set their prices at almost the same level as global luxury brands, and this has in turn isolated them from customers.
Lin Jian, one of China's most celebrated fashion commentators, attributed this to the fact that Chinese designers have been overly obsessed with being "independent". He noted that there is usually a misconception among domestic designers that being independent equates to being successful and stylish. "People often ask when China will produce its own Alexander McQueen or Coco Chanel. I have no answer to that. However, young designers need to face the realities first," said Lin.
Facts and figures of this year's Shanghai Fashion Week
49 fashion shows in nine days
Held across four locations: The black tent at Xintiandi (for independent designers and commercial brands), Shanghai Exhibition Center (for international brands such as DIESEL and Dirk Bikkembergs), Labelhood on the Bund for still presentation, and 800 Show in Jing'an for graduates and kids wear.
There were more than 1,500 visitors at the opening day of trade show MODE Showroom, up 30 percent from last season. More than 500 buyers and distributors from around the world attended the four-day event.
Related:
