As China's clothing companies strive to build their own brands, there is no better way than to work with emerging indigenous designers.

The 11th China Fashion Design Contest was held in Weihai, Shandong province, last month. The contest is a joint effort by the China Fashion Association and major clothing company, the Dishang Group.

Designer Liu Jing won the first prize for her collection Without You, which features sharp suits and romantic chiffon dresses. She bagged 100,000 yuan ($14,700) as prize money.

The winners were selected from a pool of 127 contestants who have already won major regional or national contests. They submitted entries related to the 2018 spring/summer season. The results were decided by a jury comprising well-known designers and industry experts.

The event is part of Dishang's effort to transform itself from a manufacturing giant to a brand nurturer.

Founded in 1993, Dishang, like most Chinese companies, started by manufacturing for international brands. But it has switched focus to design and innovation as it seeks to build its own brands.

It is now one of China's biggest clothes exporters. And the value of its exports have increased an average of 15 percent annually in recent years, reaching $1.5 billion in 2016.

Meanwhile, Dishang has acquired brands including American casual-menswear brand Izod and French womenswear brand Feraud, both of which showed their latest collections at the competition last month.

Feraud showed a youthful feminine summer collection of casual and evening wear, while Izod presented a collection featuring calm hues and structured outerwear.

Speaking about Feraud's offering, Zhao Min, the brand's general manager, says: "Consumers these days are no longer categorized by age but by style preferences."

Separately, Dishang has built an industry platform that connects more than 100 designer studios, 3,000 fabric makers, 800 manufacturers and 400 brands.

In a related development, Dishang is looking to buy more overseas brands as it seeks to expand, says Zhang Shizhe, Dishang's deputy general manager.

"We are constantly looking to expand our pool of brands," he says.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited the Dishang Group in April, praising its endeavor to export and to focus on technology and innovation.