The coming of age of Chinese fashion

Hu's win comprised of $100,000, a chance to showcase her works at London Fashion Week in September and a mentorship with companies such as Lane Crawford and Reebok.

"Caroline has only just debuted her first collection, but she's already won the inaugural Business of Fashion China Prize. This really signals the talent that Chinese designers have," says Yu.

Industry encouragement

But fashion is ultimately a business and not just an art form-great designs alone cannot guarantee one's success in the market. Many of the Chinese designers who have gained international recognition would point out that partnerships with industry players have been integral to their development, and one of the most fervent supporters of emerging local designers is Lane Crawford.

According to Joanna Gunn, chief brand officer for the Hong Kong-headquartered company, Lane Crawford has over the past 10 years groomed more than 20 Chinese designers and provided them with invaluable insights into the market. Some of the other Chinese design labels that Lane Crawford has supported include Ms Min, Helen Lee, Uma Wang and Ffixxed Studios.

"When we first started to help Ffixxed Studios, some of the things they wanted was more customer insight. As part of this partnership, we provided them with information such as the kind of fits, sizings and silhouettes that are in demand, as well as advice on pricing and clothing range. This helps them to understand from a broader perspective what customers are looking for," explains Gunn.

Some of the other organizations that have played a key role in nurturing emerging designers include Labelhood, which has been featured at SFW since 2016. This year, as part of SFW, Labelhood organized China Styling Bloggers, an event where more than 20 bloggers and influencers took to the runway to showcase the Fall/Winter 2019 collections of five local designers including Ming Ma, Yirantian, Sarayun and Samuel Gui Yang.

Besides fashion showcases, Labelhood also organized two panel discussions which were attended by Italian clothing brand Diesel's founder Renzo Rosso, the chief editor of iWeekly Liang Jiajun, and Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, the founder of Vestoj.

The BFC too has played a role in the rise of Chinese talent, providing many UK-based Chinese designers with support and the chance to be featured at London Fashion Week. Some of the most notable designers it has helped include Chen Xuzhi, who graduated from the prestigious Central Saint Martins in London, and Zhang Huishan, who cut his teeth at French luxury fashion house Christian Dior.