But the event, which runs from March 18 to April 6 this year, will have plenty in common with the previous eight festivals, although it has become a much larger event than Shanghai's first attempt at a fashion week back in 1995.

"The festival may be an eye-opener for average fashion followers," said Gu Kaikai, a local designer for made-to-order boutique In For Bloom. "But for a professional designer like me, it provides a platform for designers to exchange notes and explore opportunities."

As per tradition, the festival will showcase the latest collections from domestic and international designers, and include a modeling competition, a visual arts exhibition and an international fashion forum.

While still in its infancy, the festival has helped the local fashion industry develop, according to Ni Shude, deputy director of the event's organizing com-mittee.

In the early 1990s, the city was home to about 1,000 apparel manufacturers.

By 2001, there were more than 2,500 manufacturers producing garments in the city, and the market is getting bigger every year.

During the first nine months of last year, 165 overseas-funded garment and textile manufacturing projects worth US$170 million were set up in the city.

"In the short term the festival is a quick way to raise the city's profile in the world. Over the long run, it contributes to educating local people about how to appreciate apparel culture and gain fashion sense," said Paul Chen, a representative of Fendi in Plaza 66.

The rise of Shanghai's fashion scene and garment industry has also attracted several international design institutes to set up joint venture colleges in the city, said Bao Mingxin, a profes-sor of Donghua University.

(eastday.com January 7, 2003)