SHANGHAI Fashion Week (SFW) has grown into a major platform for independent designers to showcase their ever-evolving work. Over a week from April 10, 35 shows hit the runway at Shanghai Xintiandi Taiping Lake and 800 Show on Changde Road.

Chinese fashion creativity emerged as the highlight of the biannual fashion week.

QIUHAO

Qiu Hao's stunning show won plaudits from local fashionistas and critics alike; Wang Haizhen, winner of the prestigious Fashion Fringe Award at last autumn's London Fashion Week, presented a strong aesthetic of enchanting, dynamic shapes; while Helen Lee closed the week, taking the moon as inspiration for her new collection.

In addition to the many shows, the much-anticipated first edition of the high-end footwear trade fair MICAM Shanghai was held at the Shanghai Exhibition Center.

This is intended to help international manufacturers tap into the Chinese footwear market.

The event showcased footwear from about 350 companies from around the world. Qiu Hao's stunning show on the second night of SFW wowed local fashionistas and fashion critics alike with designs that were the epitome of conceptual cool.

An army of fierce-looking models with slick-backed hair and nude makeup took to the runway in beautifully constructed clothes that had the audience gasping.

The designer has created a look for women full of contradictions; Qiu's muse needs dangerous temptations, yet desires protection at the same time.

The autumn-winter 2013 collection uses silk, leather, wool, cashmere and fur in a palette of black, grey and cream.

The beauty of his design is in the fine detail and somewhat exaggerated proportions. As an added bonus, Qiu incorporated Swarovski Elements into his work for the first time.

Qiu had studied for a Master Degree in fashion womenswear at Central Saint Martins in London. After graduating in 2006, he returned to Shanghai to establish his eponymous label QIUHAO.

The designer has shown his collections in Singapore, Paris, Stockholm and Sydney.

His knitwear collection at the Palais de Tokyo during Couture Fashion Week 2008 won the prestigious Woolmark Prize.

He was also named by Forbes as one of the top 25 most important people in the Chinese fashion industry.

Swedish Fashion

A SPECIAL show promoting Swedish fashion was organized by the Consulate General of Sweden in the city during SFW, with "less is more" accurately describing the pared-down designs on view.

But this is not to suggest that Swedish designers are less creative than more flamboyant figures. Instead, they have a tradition of a practical approach, excelling in combining quirkiness and social consciousness with affordability and commercial sensibility.

The show featured designs from names including D:FUSE Scandinavia, 5Preview, Ann-Sofie Back, Army Of Me, Camilla Norrback, Cheap Monday, Design by Mary H, Elvine, Mes Dames, Noir & Blanc, Righteous Fashion, Saby, T-shirt Store, Ulrika Sandstrom, Van Deurs and Vita.

Since 2010, the consulate has focused on building awareness around Swedish fashion aesthetics by arranging six Swedish shows at SFW. The latest one was styled by Shanghai designer Simon Wang and directed by senior fashion strategist Liu Yongyan.

Helen Lee

One of the earliest homegrown independent designers and a solid player in the local fashion scene, Helen Lee closed SFW with her lunar-inspired autumn-winter 2013 collection.

Lee said she is fascinated in exploration, and discussions about whether the moon may be a useful resource in our lifetime sparked inspiration for her latest work.

The show's colors were inspired by moonlight in different hues, from night to night, season to season. Looks included structural thick cashmere coats, hand-knit cashmere sweaters, body-flattering dresses - all expressing the poignant romance of autumn with a futuristic feel. Lee's collection also features moon prints on soft glossy fabrics like silk and heavy crepe, while embossed monotone fabric expresses the lunar surface.

Lee believes the moon cultivates a clean, pure spirit, and subverting the ordinary, she again leads the trends.

Her VIP after-show party at Sarment Wine in Reel Shopping Mall featured a special Helen Lee Moon cocktail.

Haizhen Wang

Haizhen Wang's show at SFW confirmed his talent, already shown at London Fashion Week last September, where he was winner of the prestigious Fashion Fringe Award.

This collection shows Wang is designing for a really aggressive but at the same time very elegant woman.

The models wore visors, as though they were warriors protecting themselves. In keeping with this theme, the final outfit featured a real shield - exquisite and studied in detail, but a shield nonetheless.

Wang's collection also featured numerous jackets, many with large, conspicuous collars.

The designer is practicing a bold and imaginative approach to women's identity.

Influenced by contemporary cultural and feminist theory, his style embodies the crucial relationship between function and design.

He incorporates a mix of high-quality fabrics with professional finishes to produce signature tailored jackets and soft pieces that are both extraordinary and functional.

Entering 2013, Haizhen Wang was widely touted as one of the new up-and-coming talents for 2013.

His triumph at SFW shows that he has truly arrived.

Vittorio di Giacomo

Vittorio di Giacomo brought the "New Dandy" to the catwalk for SFW: Elegant, sophisticated, sometimes casual and always with the class and the attitude of Italian style.

Chinese and Italian entrepreneurs and celebrities were among the audience to celebrate the launch of its autumn-winter 2013 collection.

On the runway, Di Giacomo mixed a sporty but at the same time stylish look featuring flat-front pants, along with more classical jackets.

The models all sported mustaches, bringing a classical note of days gone by to contemporary Italian style.

Di Giacomo uses exclusively Italian textiles and many processes are done in Italy.

In his "Transpolar" collection, Di Giacomo plays with blue and gray tones and uses premium materials, such as goose down and wool.

The international market is more and more appreciating and confirming Vittorio Di Giacomo's great potential.

In fact, the designer chose the SFW as a milestone to celebrate ongoing global expansion with the brand's ninth store in China.

IFA

International Fashion Academy IFA, seeks to help young talents enter the fashion world through undergraduate, marketing and postgraduate courses in design, business, communication and luxury, with multidisciplinary collaboration.

Founded in Paris, since 2002 it had a school in Shanghai. This show was its first as part of the official autumn-winter shows at SFW. It was divided into three sets which were, to be honest, a bit too long.

The first part was held with Ecopel, a French-Chinese joint venture specializing in faux fur and leather garments. These were colorful, but seemed hard to wear.

The second part was by Elias Moussa, a 26-year-old who won top prize at the Paris IFA school in 2011. There was an Arab feel to his collection, with baggy pants tight at the ankle and cool hats.

The final section showcased final year students at Shanghai IFA. Not surprisingly, themes were diverse and sometimes chaotic. You could sense their inexperience but also their raw talent. As a nice touch, the show closed with the students coming out to take the plaudits.