During the recently concluded China Fashion Week, the hottest looks didn't appear on any of the runway shows. They weren't even unveiled in China. They emerged from an airplane door, down metal steps, on to Russian and Tanzanian soil.

One look was a navy blue, double-breasted coat paired with a light blue silk scarf and a black leather tote bag. The other was a suit and skirt ensemble in white brocade, worn with another blue scarf.

"It really was huge good news," says Cao Ping, a menswear designer who participated in the fashion week.