Not yet the finished product

While the annual Shanghai Fashion Week has grown significantly over the years, industry veterans believe more needs to be done before it can be on par with its more illustrious Western counterparts

The front row at the opening show of the 2016 Fall/Winter Shanghai Fashion Week on April 8 was graced by some very influential people in the global fashion scene, an indication that the annual event has grown much in stature since its inception in 2003.

But instead of the typical personalities like supermodels or A-listers, among those seated were Pascal Morand, executive president of the French Federation of Fashion, Carlo Capasa, chairman of the Italian National Fashion Chamber, Sara Maino, senior editor of Vogue Italy, and Gemma Williams, British fashion columnist and the author of Fashion China. "These are industry veterans who are just as influential, if not more, as fashion designers, stylists and celebrities in the industry," said Du Wenxia, a member of the Shanghai Fashion Week organizing committee.