Some 400 brands and designers were featured at MODE this year. Photos Provided to China Daily

But apart from celebrity sightings, organizers also want people like Gu to know more about MODE, the official trade show for the event that is located in a 5,000-square-meter underground parking lot located a few blocks away from the main show tent.

Established during the previous edition of Shanghai Fashion Week, MODE is where buyers get to feel the fabrics, talk to local designers, and most importantly, place orders for the pieces that have caught their eye during the fashion shows. There were some 400 brands and designers featured at MODE this year, and it drew about 3,600 people in three days. However, organizers say the crowd is still mostly made up of buyers, distributors and retailers.

Kate Zhou, the founder of her eponymous fashion brand, said that MODE is an important element in Shanghai Fashion Week as it provides people with an avenue to really understand the creations by local designers.

“Emerging designers need a space for customers to actually see and try their pieces. That’s what online stores cannot offer and what brick-and-mortar stores could survive the competition with,” said Zhou.