The China International Ceremonial Couture Design Contest, 2016, which took place in Beijing for this year, with the theme of “China silk road’, selected five students of the American University in the Emirates (AUE) to participate, which saw two AUE students shortlisted and one student win the top prize. Now in its 5th year, the China International Ceremonial Couture Design Contest has the reputation of being one of the most influential and authoritative annual fashion design contests to be held within mainland China. It aims at assembling and inspiring innovation of ceremonial couture by gathering global designs, cultivating and promoting young talented designers. 

AUE College of Fine Arts and Design student, Alya Ahmed Al Faour, who is a second year BScD Fashion Design student, won the contest, competing against 10 other participants from all over the world. Her designs, which were for women, men and children, based her work on Middle Eastern inspiration and digitally printed the Chinese ancient silk road onto the fabric she used for all her designs. Her unique concept had helped her be recognized by the fierce contest judges, “I feel so proud to win an international competition,” she excitedly exclaimed. AUE is known to encourage its students to thin innovatively and this was not the first time fashion students took their work internationally, participating in more than 10 global competitions on a yearly basis. “It has made me feel that with hard work nothing is impossible, as our University continues to tell us,” she adds. Fashion Design faculty, Ms. Shlagha Agarwal and Ms. Iris Peitzmeier supervised the five students while they were creating their designs. They explained that taking part in international competitions gives students critical experience, “Students are gaining international exposure and developing important problem-solving skills as they get to deal with a full process, explained Ms. Agarwal. “They (students) get to follow through their work from sketching to shopping costs,” added Ms. Peitzmeier. 

The AUE continues to expose its student to the real world as the main branch of its mission is to bridge the gap between theory and practice. It has also just signed an MoU with Dubai Fashion Council, which saw College of Fine Arts and Design students working backstage at the Huawei Arab Fashion Week.