Students take a chic step on career path

More than fashion was on show, as the three-day event held industrial networking, design shows, exhibitions, seminars, a fashion contest and an award ceremony.

A team of 20 judges scored the designers' works under five key metrics: fashion, quality, market, technology and responsibility. The judges talked to each designer to better understand their design concepts.

The young designers also showcased their creations at an exhibition at Qingdao Mixc, a popular shopping mall, and members of the public were asked to vote for their favorite designs. A total of 1,500 of them cast their votes.

Wang Yuqi, a student from the Royal Academy of Arts in London won first prize.

Second prizes were awarded to both Lea Kasper from the Trier University of Applied Sciences in Germany and Zhang Yuchuan from Donghua University.

The third-prize winners were students from China, Italy and South Africa.

There were four other single-item awards.