Beijing, May 29th, 2006 – China’s budding young fashion stars were recognized for their creative designs today at the “Cotton – Beyond Your Imagination” design competition award ceremony. A prize of RMB15,000 was awarded in each of the four categories: home, office, outdoor and party. The winners, students of Beijing Institute of Clothing Technology (BICT), will also have their designs publicly showcased during road shows in Beijing and Shanghai in the fall, 2006.

The competition is a collaboration between BICT, Cotton Incorporated (CI) and Cotton Council International (CCI). The judging panel included representatives from all three organizations as well as Madam Gao Fang, Secretary General of China Cotton Association.

Speaking at the press conference Robin Merlo, the Director of Public Relations for CI congratulated the winners saying, “These creations not only demonstrate the best in Chinese student design, but also showcase the benefits of cotton, its versatility and attributes as a fashion fabric. All of the 38 participants pushed their creative limits. The original plan was to have four winners but due to the high quality of the submissions, we have selected six.”

BICT is naturally enthused by the imaginative designs of their students. Commenting on the competition was Liu Yuanfeng, Professor and Vice President of BICT, “We are delighted to be partnering in this ‘Cotton – Beyond Your Imagination’ competition. It has given our students a new creative outlet in which to use their imagination and showcase their abilities at a national level. The students see cotton as a wonderful fabric for design.’’

In the fall of 2006, a specially-designed presentation stage will travel to public venues in Beijing and Shanghai to display the winning designs. At that time, the public will be invited to vote, via the internet, for their favorites in categories such as: Most Creative, Best Use of Color, Best Use of Denim, and Most Preferred Outfit. The results will be announced at a special ceremony in Shanghai.

The internet voting for the student designs will be conducted on a Chinese cotton-centric website. Themed around “Cotton – Beyond Your Imagination”, this site will cross-link to Sohu.com. These web sites will be the main vehicle for the voting, and will also offer information on fabric care, fashion for the family and home decorating; thus, educating the Chinese consumer on the many uses of cotton.

“By taking Chinese cotton design to the public, we are creating an opportunity for the consumer to learn more about the benefits of cotton. Cotton, by its very nature is comfortable while being fashionable. It is easy to work with, and is a favorite choice of designers and manufacturers,” said Karin Malmstrom, Director of China and Hong Kong for CCI.

The use of natural materials in clothes is important to Chinese consumers. In a survey of 7,000 consumers it was found that people are favorable toward natural fibers and in particular, cotton. Almost seven out of ten said it is important that their clothing is made from natural fibers such as cotton, and six out of ten said that cotton is the best fiber for today’s fashions.