"Tapestry always pays attention to the development of young talents, especially young design talents in China."

He adds: "We believe that the concept of 'China chic' can be conveyed to the world by domestic talents, so we cooperate with Donghua University and communicate with their young designers.

"Through the cooperation and guidance of related courses, we have produced a lot of inspirational and creative designs."

Chen says the project will enable students to have better understanding of the market.

"We depend on imagination when designing, but also consider the demands of the market, consumers and enterprises so that we can have a more practical design. This is a rare opportunity for design students," she says.

She gave the example of making a bag design, for which her team received professional support from the brand.

"Although we are students majoring in design, we have little experience of turning drawings into real products. The company used its mature system to communicate with us so that our work was more in line with the style of a commercial brand and ready to land," she adds.

The Ministry of Education launched a strategy of integrating the industry with education in 2019.

Li Jun, dean of Shanghai International College of Fashion and Innovation at Donghua University, says: "We are willing to promote new forms of vocational education to encourage students to practice during the learning process and consolidate professional knowledge with practical experience."

Fashion designers should be versatile-they are capable of drawing and having a good eye for color, pattern and texture, Li says.

"For the future drivers of the market, the trend of 'China chic' is only the reflection of culture. New materials, processes and trends are all important factors to promote works of young designers."