By Chen Nan (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-04-01 07:47

Ancient Chinese calligraphy was the dominant theme at the opening show of China's International Fashion Week, which finished yesterday.

A total of 30 young designers from 16 countries cruised into the final round at the 16th Hampel Award China International Young Designer Contest. Finalists come from diverse cultural backgrounds, but their inspiration is the same - written Chinese characters.

German designer David UBL won the Gold Award for his collection named The Desert.

Award-winner Cheng Shimin's Between Chinese Characters series. Lu Zhongqiu

He is inspired by the array of deserts on China's map. Hu Dapeng, from Beijing, won the Silver Award for his Post Industrial Era collection. Sharing second prize was Cheng Shimin from Jilin province of northeastern China for his Between Chinese Characters series.

Winning third prize were Sun Yuan, an overseas student who brought her Rolling series, and Elkuch Selina from Liechtenstein with her Surrealism: The Derivation of A Sign - Ink Moth.

Most foreign contestants say Chinese characters appear intricate and inspire them. Calligraphy, the meaning of Chinese characters, hieroglyphs and inscriptions on bronze have all led to interesting inventions that combine the ancient and the modern, Eastern and Western.

Hu says his Post Industrial Era set is designed to remind people of the traditional way of writing, despite the exponential growth of e-mails and mobile messages.

The young fashion designer contest was launched last September and received more than 1,600 entries from 23 countries and regions.

Gao Zhiwei, head of the organizing committee, says the event is crucial for insiders to share their views.

He says the Chinese fashion industry was plagued by a lack of quality designs but the situation has improved.

"We see many outstanding new designers every year," he says. "Their works have definitely added fresh blood into the industry. They also use overseas elements, which is helpful for the rest of the world to know more about Chinese designs."

China's International Fashion Week, and also the 2008 and 2009 Autumn Winter Collection, were held in Beijing Hotel and DPARK Beijing House at 798 art district from March 25 to 31.

More than 500 models displayed nearly 40 collections of almost 30 fashion brands.

(China Daily 04/01/2008 page19)