City starting to close gap with world fashion capitals

Shanghai Fashion Week introduces a business showroom for deals and focuses more on homegrown talent as it takes tips from biggest markets

There was a small but important difference at this year's Shanghai Fashion Week: for the first time, it had an official showroom where deals potentially worth millions of dollars could be struck.

The bold gesture also highlights the grand ambitions of this government-sponsored event as it strives to join ranks with the big four fashion weeks in London, Paris, Milan and New York.