A hat milliner Sui Yida designed for dancer Zhao Liang for a dance drama performance.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"My tutor told me designing a millinery collection was either pass or fail, which put a lot of pressure on me," Sui says. "I'm glad that all the professors involved liked my final project－a collection of six pieces of headwear."

The collection later was borrowed by fashion magazine Bazaar for a photo shoot.

Sui started millinery design in 2009 after graduation, but only as a hobby. He had been working as a designer of clothes, bags and costumes for several years.

It was not until 2016, when Sui built his team and founded his own brand, Suiyida, did he focus only on millinery.

"I like headwear, as it can be an art form that records my feelings. Compared to garments, headwear can fulfill all my bizarre ideas with only one pivotal point," Sui says.

For Sui, making headwear is like writing a diary. "I'll use different materials to interpret my mood and the things I encounter, so each piece of headwear I make is like a phase of my life story."