Not fashion models but role models. Taking part in Carrie Hammer's unique fashion show in Shanghai are successful women like Lu Liuliu (above), head of large merchant business at PayPal China, and Cathy Hau, executive director of the real estate group within CITIC Capital Holdings Ltd. Photos Provided to China Daily

It was a somewhat unusual thing to see 22 catwalk models partaking in a lavish four-course dinner — one which included slow-braised Angus beef and a perfectly textured dessert of lime and green apples — just before they took to the catwalk. A few of them even extended their hands to the bread basket twice while waiting for the next dish to be served. Meanwhile, the designer responsible for the fashion creations kept reminding them that “you are not professional models”.

The 14-year-old biannual Shanghai Fashion Week, extended from Oct 13 to 21 this season, has never been short of top models or celebrities. Its catwalk, located under a black dome that has often been compared to the iconic white tent at New York City’s Lincoln Center, has housed an equally important galaxy of international designers including Vivienne Westwood.

Indeed, these “models” were actually some of China’s most influential career women, all of whom had signed up to be a part of the unique “Role Model Not Runway Model” fashion show by New York designer Carrie Hammer.

A former advertising sales executive, Hammer has been using role models instead of professional models for her shows, hoping that “every woman can see a positive reflection of herself as well as her future self”. Former role models who have walked at Hammer’s show in New York include Danielle Sheypuk, Ms Wheelchair New York 2012, and Jamie Brewer, an actress with Down syndrome who is best known for her roles on American Horror Story.

The 30-year-old designer, who had launched her eponymous fashion line in New York City in 2012, said that her concept has received overwhelming response in China.

“I was warned that this is China (when we first decided to have a show in Shanghai). People here are more shy and women may not be as confident. But that’s not the case,” Hammer told China Daily USA at the rehearsal dinner the night before the show.

Some of these volunteer models had hired professional photographers to document the entire process, from early fitting to the final catwalk, while others sought training from professional models before the show. Some had even paid for the air tickets and accommodation for an entourage of 15 people who provided support.

Most of the Chinese role models were recommended by Hammer’s pool of models and personal connections back in the United States. Most of the women Hammer had invited gladly took up the challenge, though admittedly most of them have never heard of her brand.