Recently, the 35th Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) concluded in London. Zhu Ziyu, a graduating student from Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology (BIFT), won the Silver Prize in the International Catwalk Award with her graduation collection Between (supervised by Wang Liqun), showcasing the distinctive vision and creativity of China’s new generation of fashion designers.

Certificate of the award

Zhu Ziyu at GFW in London

Recognized as one of the world’s most influential platforms for emerging fashion talent, this GFW brought together more than 1,000 works from over 70 leading fashion institutions worldwide. The competition entries were professionally assessed across multiple dimensions, including creativity, craftsmanship, textiles, and overall presentation, by a judging panel comprising internationally recognized industry experts.

Inspired by Eastern philosophy and the spirit of the Chinese heroine (xia nü), Zhu’s collection Between combines powerful Western-inspired silhouettes with an Eastern cultural aesthetic to portray the modern woman as both resilient and graceful. Rather than relying on conventional cultural motifs, the collection creatively incorporates the traditional Dong ethnic group’s hand-beaten and dyed Dong cloth, an item of China’s intangible cultural heritage, together with contemporary pattern-making techniques, achieving a compelling fusion of traditional craftsmanship and international fashion design.

Design sketches

The collection Between presented on the GFW runway in London

This achievement highlights the cultural confidence and innovative capability of China’s young fashion designers. It also reflects BIFT's commitment to promoting learning through competition and advancing the creative transformation and innovative development of traditional Chinese culture.