On the second day, the Poly Theatre became a satellite of the United Nations when 36 young designers from 22 countries and regions displayed their works to compete for the Hempel Awards.

These finalists were chosen from 1,708 applications submitted since last September.

The "White Lily Magnolia Waltz" collection designed by Xie Jin, a senior student of the Fine Arts School of Beijing's Tsinghua University, stood out from all the other works to win the first Hempel Award.

To a melodic waltz, the models walked along the catwalk, as if the white flowers were blossoming quietly in the silvery light of the moon.

"My inspiration comes from the white lily magnolia. The gorgeous white fascinates me - so pure and so beautiful," she said.

Brandon Michael, a designer for the US womenswear firm Hailives, was one of the judges. He said: "Today's young Chinese designers' vision and understanding of fashion are very close to those international designers I know.

"Xie's collection features almost all the fashion trends. They are perfect works of art. But I prefer designs that are both stylish and practical.

"Fashion is very personal. Every designer has his own concept of fashion. When I gave lectures in the Fashion Institute of Technology (in New York), I always told those students who had just started designing that the most important thing for a fashion designer is to be loyal to your own ideas. Cover your eyes and express yourself through the designs."

Wang Qing, chairman of the Chinese Fashion Designers' Association, said he felt very happy to see a Chinese designer win the top prize. He said: "We organized the competition to provide young Chinese designers with an opportunity to be seen by the world. They and their international counterparts can inspire each other."

(China Daily CHEN JIE 07-04-2003)

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