Gen-Zheng

Six months later, Zheng won the Best of the Best Fashion Graduate Award, an initiative set up by the government-supported Fashion Asia Hong Kong. She cites a lofty group of designers as being inspiration: Iris van Herpen, "a haute couturist who creates works that push boundaries and uses materials that are specially created to communicate her concepts – her speciality is the use of rapid prototyping (3D printing)"; Alexander McQueen for his ability to "technologically transform garments from concepts into couture"; and Yohji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake, who are "deconstructive designers, though their designs are so different."

With plans to head to the UK to continue her studies, Zheng credits PolyU's Basia Szkutnicka, the programme director of the MA in Fashion and Textile Design, for much of the success of her collection. "Basia always had room for us to develop and find our own personality. She was leading me to arrive in my own space – she is experiential and unlimited. She specifically inspired my use of colour." Previously, Zheng had tended to occupy the safety zone of black, but in this collection, she "finally created the red of my own."