Shanghai Fashion Week kicked off with an impressive list of designers and collections. Among the themes parading down the catwalk, soft and elegant is one of the new trends, writes Zhao Feifei.

　　Saturday was showtime at one of the premier events for Shanghai Fashion Week. As the lights flooded the catwalk, intense anticipation overwhelmed the audience and the media.

　　Salvatore Ferragamo's models frolicked down the runway wearing flouncy chiffon and organza in various shades. The following day, Lanvin once again stuck to its recipe of blending the graceful and modern to create pure romance. Full-length fountains of frothy chiffon created an airy summer elegance for Ferragamo, with handkerchief hems, soft layers and swirling movements. Transparent billowing caftans were a souffle of chiffon over swimsuits, a celebration of sheer color. Dreamy fresh colors were delectable in airy florals, ice blue with pearl grey, cloud white and champagne. Ferragamo has a winner with designer Graeme Black, who reinforced his preference for elegance, craft and style. He showed no signs of jet lag and spoke effusively about what he has discovered in Shanghai during his last three trips to China. ``This is a happening place,'' said the gutsy and lively 36-year-old Scotland native. ``You can feel the buzz. The youth culture is strong. Girls can twist the traditional with the modernsintosa superb harmony, like a silk traditional top to go with tight jeans. I've drawn inspiration from these trips for this collection.'' Indeed, the fresh yet soft patterns on the organza leave a shadow of Chinese watercolor paintings. Black joined Armani 10 years ago, when he was in his mid 20s. He started out working for designers Zandra Rhodes and John Galliano in London, before landing a job at Armani's Milan headquarters. In the last couple of years Black and Amarni formed a close bond. As proof, Armani sat in the front row of Black's debut Ferragamo collection in Milan last year, and even invited Black's parents, Marion and Ernest, to holiday in Tuscany, and dined with him a few days ago in Milan. Black rated Shanghai as one of the top five fashion cities in the world, after Paris, New York, Milan, and London. That may be pleasant words for the public, but it's also self serving. Every major fashion brand is fighting for a foothold in the booming cities of Shanghai and Beijing. It's as if they all recognized, at the same time, that it's the only opportunity for luxury goods expansion in the global market. Designers are busy making extended road trips to promote their wares in the Middle Kingdom. Naturally enough, a little serendipity went a long way. Tom Ford spun his summer theme out of vintage kimonos he bought in Tokyo. Galliano spent two weeks sightseeing and antique shopping in flea markets in China, and even brought a troupe of kung-fu performers back to Paris to star in the Dior show earlier this year. Giorgio Armani plans on opening his Shanghai store in the upscale Three on the Bund, plus 20 other stores across China,swhereshis timeless clothes with a strong personal signature will continue to find an audience. Lanvin is going to open 10 boutiques around the country by the end of the year.

　　Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz said fashion designers work not just with intuition, but also with a mix of rational thought, or, you could say, some business sense. Lanvin is fully prepared to tapsintosChina's market by opening new stores as well. The Morocco-born designer, like many others, loves to channel Oriental inspiration while picking up on current trends. But he doesn't forget his roots. He also inculcated respect for tradition. ``Shanghai is developing very fast,'' he said. ``I say go forward, but don't ever forget your tradition and heritage, rememberswheresyou're from.'' Elbaz, once at Yves Saint Laurent before being ousted by Tom Ford, re-energized Lanvin with what was a season-defining collection. Models with black lace veils tied over their faces wore long skirts pulled tight around the hips to make a fantail behind. Sultry, back-slashed gowns in everything from somber browns and melancholy blue-grays to jade green and egg-yolk yellow showed off willowy figures without needing to reveal much skin. Accessories included kid gloves that reached to the upper arm, classic black stilettos and boots. It was a perfect marriage of classic style with a relaxed modern attitude.