Students take a chic step on career path

All winners were granted a full year's use of a design studio free of charge, which was provided by the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology at its fashion industry park in Qingdao.

Japanese designer Hanchi Mriyama won the "market potential" prize. The 24-year-old designs clothes with a dash of color for working women. His idea is a mix of Japanese elements and French fashion. He is a postgraduate at the ISAL Paris, a leading private fashion business school that specializes in creation management.

Another contestant, Guan Tianai, had a collection of five menswear sets, entitled Nice to Meet You.

Guan said her creation had been inspired by her experience in the United Kingdom as an exchange student in 2017-18.

She participated in the Tweed Run in London, an annual event in which cyclists ride through London in British tweeds and brogues.

Guan says that, in her design, she tried to express her nostalgia for her college years and highlight unforgettable memories from Britain.

"My design was based on the features and fabrics of traditional English-style suits, aiming at comfortable tailoring," Guan says.

"I added some more elements into the design to get what I really want, something of an eclectic interest behind plain grandeur," says Guan, who just graduated from Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology in June and plans to further her postgraduate study.

During the fashion event, her design gained attention from a local clothing brand, which signed a cooperative agreement with her at the closing ceremony.

"One appealing aspect of this contest is that fashion newcomers can have many opportunities to communicate with industry insiders," says Guan.