A fashion show at the closing ceremony of the recent World University Student Fashion Design Competition. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Zhu Shaofang, vice-president of the China Fashion Association, said during the event that the competition served as a platform to cultivate talent in fashion, and she praised that "the competition not only enables up-and-coming young designers to display their work and communicate with each other, but also serves as a bridge linking governments, education institutions, industries, and city resources".

One of the participating designers, Jackson Wiederhoeft, a graduate of the New York-based Parsons School of Design, says he believes that there is great potential among Chinese people, as many of them are interested in and would like to try bold designs, while "New York people tend to be more serious".

"I hope my products will be sold in the Chinese market in the future," he said.