A Fijian student said her dream of becoming a clothing designer had finally come true when she won the bronze prize last night at a national competition for international students, which was held by Donghua University as part of its 15th annual Fashion Week.
It was the first of its kind in China and was attended by about 40 foreign students from 19 universities around the country.
Jadeine Whiteside, who is believed to be the first Fijian student to study fashion design in China, displayed three gowns on which ancient Chinese poems were printed.
"The theme of my designs is Han Zi, or Chinese characters," 27-year-old Whiteside explained. "Since I came to China seven years ago, I began to learn Chinese and Chinese characters, which will always be part of my life."
The audience could clearly see the Chinese elements in the dresses she designed. They were inspired by the qipao, a type of long dress decorated with tassels, Chinese knots and a paper fan. The dress is black and white, representing yin and yang in Chinese culture.
In addition to the traditional Chinese materials silk, satin and cotton, she used a Fijian cloth called Tapa.
Tapa is made from mulberry tree bark and Fijians wear clothes made of it on special occasions, she told Shanghai Daily.
"I hope my designs show my impressions of China and my understanding of Chinese culture," she said, "I also hope to encourage people to learn more about Fiji with my work."
She said the fashion contest was a good opportunity for international students to engage in cultural exchanges.
"There were contestants from very different countries, showing their designs combining cultural characteristics of our homelands with our life in China," she said. "It's a great experience for me."
She added: "Though I was not the champion, I feel proud to win a prize among more than 57 preliminary contestants and 40 finalists. It's a recognition of my capabilities."
Whiteside said her grandmother was a tailor and she has wanted to be a an artistic designer of some kind since she was a little girl, but did not have a clear idea at the time what form that would take.
She first studied digital media as an undergraduate at Donghua, but turned to fashion design for her postgraduate studies in 2013, after she twice won first prize in fashion design contests.
She put her designs — labelled "Jadeine Whiteside" — up for sale in a local shop and on the Internet. She also brought them to markets in the city, such as Xintiandi in the downtown area, and managed to sell about 10 a day.
"'Jadeine Whiteside' is the first Fijian fashion brand in China," she said proudly.
She returned to Fiji last year to attend Fijian Fashion Week and won the Designer of the Year prize.
Whiteside told Shanghai Daily she planned to earn a doctorate at the university and then return to Fiji to become a university professor.
Whiteside said: "I hope I can teach what I have learned in mainland China to Fijian students."
