Chinese stars on the Singapore runway

Miao Meirong, 33, unveiled her maiden collection on the runway at the Asia Fashion Exchange at Tent@Orchard in Singapore in May. Drawing inspiration from an urban lifestyle, Miao's collection uses natural fibers such as wool, cotton and silk to create simple and clean but structured outfits.

The look she is after is chic, yet carefree and relaxed. Her personal favorite from the collection is a fitted wool top with a mock collar and raglan sleeves that she says best exemplifies her simple yet refreshing style.

One year ago, she was a student at the Raffles Design Institute (Shanghai) and decided to take part in Star Creation, an Asia-wide design competition that aims to identify Asia's next star fashion designer. It was her first competition.

"I was actually extremely surprised to win and really excited to see how well-received my designs were," Miao said.

She won the 2010 Star Creation contest and a prize of S$10,000 ($8,138) cash as well as a chance to do a one-year internship with a leading fashion retailer, F J Benjamin.

The chance to show her capsule collection also came with the award.

"It means I will not only have the chance to develop my skills further, but I also get a fast track forward."

Miao's dream is to one day establish her own label and boutique, but she knows it is not something she can leap into anytime soon.

Another Raffles Shanghai graduate, Chen Zhigang, has won the competition this year. The 28-year-old designer describes his design philosophy as being able "to create things that I can personally relate to, as opposed to experimenting with things I know nothing about. At the heart of my pieces and collections are stories and experiences that I know and understand."

Like Miao, Chen says the opportunity to work in Singapore and design under the mentorship of F J Benjamin will give him a more international perspective towards fashion design and help him come up with creations that are appreciated by a wider audience.

"My hope is to actually to launch my label and then bring it back into China, like so many young designers now. That was one of the reasons I joined Star Creation - to get some international exposure."