"Teachers were students of yesterday and these students are designers of tomorrow," said Li Dangqi, vice-dean of the Fine Arts School of Tsinghua University and chairman of the jury, comprising five persons from the fashion industry, five from the fashion media and five consumers.

Li Xin, assistant president of China Fashion Designers Association, and a member of the jury, said: "The students' cutting-edge ideas and expressions are more unconstrained than some of the professional designers."

Ma Kai, 21, a junior student at the Fine Arts School of Beijing Union University, won the gold prize with his collection "Grass in the Desert."

The work, including four women's dresses and one men’s' wear, were made of wool, gauze and some synthetic fabrics. Grey with a brown tone, casual yet bold, the collection was cool and unconventional.

"Ma was bold and innovative to express 'joy' by imbuing his collection with the color brown in contrast to most designers who chose red or other bright colors," said Li Dangqi. "Red expresses joy well but it does it too directly.

"Ma's collection was unique and attracted all the judges' eyes at first sight."

Wang Liang's collection was considered the best by the five judges from the fashion industry, though he was finally awarded the silver prize, because the judges from the media and the consumers had different tastes.

The collection comprised leisure knitwear for women with delicate bias-cuts. Some details of army uniform were used in the women's dresses ingeniously.

"The contrast between red and green is striking but in harmony," said Li Dangqi. "It's difficult to blend these two colors but Wang succeed."

Li Xin said she liked the collection, because "it offers an aesthetic message in appearance and function, and may become popular in the market."

(China Daily December 17, 2001)