Congratulations to Dr Alice Yao, Research Assistant Professor, and SFT graduate Kock Man-yan (BA, 2025), on winning the Merit Award (7th Place) at the prestigious 35th Jeanswest Casual Wear Design Competition with their collection, “Paper Blossoms”.
Selected as one of the national Top 20 finalists from an impressive pool of 1,255 nationwide entries reviewed by the China Fashion Designers Association, Dr Yao and Man-yan showcased their physical collections on the runway at the China International Fashion Week in Beijing on 4 September 2026.
Inspired by the traditional crafts of Chinese paper-cutting and chan hua (silk-wrapped flowers), their collection reimagines “paper” as red leather, and turns two-dimensional paper-cut motifs into sculptural peonies enhanced by chan hua techniques. Centred on a red-and-white palette, bold leather meets delicate threadwork. As pioneers in bringing heritage techniques into modern fashion, they showcase a confident cultural aesthetic that harmonises strength and grace.
This remarkable achievement highlights the cutting-edge creative prowess and design excellence fostered within the SFT community on the national stage.
