Behind the scenes at BIFT

Classrooms vs studios

There are more than 20 classrooms on the fourth, sixth and 13th floors of BIFT's main building. Students must swipe ID cards to get in.

They're more like fashion designers' studios than the tidy and bright classrooms of other universities. Students work on their creations beside sewing machines, snip cloth on giant tables and tailor garments on mannequins. In front of the room is a giant blackboard, on which the names of on-duty students are written.

Showroom

Garments from the latest collections of Gucci, Fendi and Prada are presented in a small showroom in the entryway of the main building's sixth floor. Students mix and match items from these big names with their own creations.

Library

BIFT has a four-story library. The highlight is on the fourth floor, where fashion magazines from around the world are collected. The library was founded in 1990, with the help of the Hong Kong Council for the Promotion of Trade.

In the 1990s, many fashion designers turned to this library for inspiration. Editors from China's Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Elle magazines would visit to peruse the latest foreign fashion magazines.

Ethnic attire museum

Teachers were sent around China soon after BIFT's founding to collect various ethnic groups' traditional attire.

These outfits are showcased in the Museum of Ethnic Costumes in BIFT's main building. Traditional Chinese clothing, jewelry, embroidery and handicrafts are also displayed. It's the country's largest fashion museum devoted to ethnic groups.

Runway

While every university has a giant activity center for lectures and events, BIFT's centerpiece is its runway in the Performance Hall. That's where young designers showcase their creations and where modeling majors take their classes.

Male modeling

BIFT has a fashion modeling and communication department, in which more than 400 people compete to enroll every year. Students in this department are required to train for four years to become professional models. Four male students were admitted in 2006. Now, there are six.

Modeling agency

The fashion modeling and communication department operates like a huge modeling agency. There are many photos of the school's models on the walls. The department also produces pamphlets showing BIFT's most stunning models.

Shows

The most popular event at other Chinese universities is the singing competition. But at BIFT, it's a student design show. It's also a tradition that the Beijing International Fashion Week opens with a show presenting BIFT students' best creations.