The first runway show on the opening ceremony of 2018 Puyuan Fashion Week is brought by designer Zhang Jicheng, winner of the fourth Jinding Award. [Photo provided to China Daily]

So far, Puyuan has developed a comprehensive apparel value chain centered around knitwear, which includes weaving, printing, dyeing, manufacturing, transporting and warehousing.

And Puyuan's approach to the industrial upgrade process has proved effective. According to statistics from the China National Textile and Apparel Council, knitwear sales from Puyuan increased by 6 percent over the first five months of this year, while the national average rose by between 1 and 3 percent.

Knitwear sales through e-commerce platforms are even more lucrative, as sales increased by 10 percent over the same period. Puyuan's online knitwear turnover for the first half of this year reached 7 billion yuan ($1,017 million) highlighting the boom in online consumer demand for knitwear.

A major event at the fashion week was the 10th Asian Color Forum, a high-profile industry conference first held in 2004, which explores future color trends for the Asian fashion industry.

On the theme of "Color, Innovation and Integration", the forum invited experts and scholars from both home and abroad, including Italy, Japan and South Korea, to discuss their research findings on the importance and influence that colors play in fashion, as well as the future trends of color in other industries.