China Fashion Week hit Beijing

Young designers from around the world let their imagination run wild, on the runways, as part of the prelude to the biannual China Fashion Week. After its grand opening, Tuesday evening, domestic and international designers began showing their 2008-2009 autumn/ winter collection in Beijing.

The 30 young finalists may come from diverse cultural backgrounds, but their inspiration is the same - Chinese characters. Domestic designers, obviously have a natural advantage in interpreting the theme.

Gu Jianyi, contestant from Beijing, said, "My inspiration is the ancient Chinese character Hu or mutual. I think the character delivers the spirit of China's traditional culture. I chose plaits and some accessories to make the character visual and alive."

Gu Jianyi from Beijing became the first finalist to showcase her creation at the opening ceremony. But less than ten days before the deadline for submissions, her design was still on paper.

Gu said, "Change always happens faster than my planning. For instance, after it was washed, my material became too soft to sculpt. At school,I only use white cloth, so I don't make complete pieces. The plan on paper is only the first step. After that I have to take care of the rest of the process from choosing the right material to creating the work - to completion. "