What is the fashion industry really like? For those students who would like to study in top fashion and design colleges in the world, what qualities should they possess? What should we do in fashion and design education? This interview with a world-renowned fashion designer may give you the answers to these questions.

The following extract is taken from the interview. Full version of the interview is available in Chinese: https://www.ywies-sh.com/sc/article/press/david-leung

Q: What exactly does a fashion designer do? Can you describe a day of a fashion designer?

A: The duties of a fashion designer are very multi-dimensional. Fashion is a broad discipline. Most of the time fashion designers create and collect ideas through conceptualisation and critical thinking. Sometimes they need to analyse the change in market trends and people’s lifestyle while sometimes they have to study myths, historic sites and the lifestyle nowadays. Sometimes they do mix and match of colours to gain design ideas. Of course, most of the time they sit in front of the desk doing sketching and designing just as what you think.

Q: What qualities should one possess in order to enter top art schools in the world?

A: Students have to try their best to showcase all of their talents and qualities when they are applying universities and preparing portfolios. There are few things that one has to achieve:
• Designs must be original and creative. Try to demonstrate your talents through your art pieces instead of simply saying “I love fashion”.
• Design is not just about having the final product done but the whole conceptualisation process. Students need a rich portfolio that can present their conceptualisation and analytical thinking abilities, as well as the designing process.
• Show your passion towards design and tell your own story, as this connects people’s lives together.

If you can achieve these three points, you are a great designer already.

Q: As a successful designer and educator, do you have some tips that can share to those students who would love to enter the fashion industry?

A: If you want to be successful in a certain industry, you have to be passionate about it. The same rule applies to the fashion industry. Other than that, you have to be passionate about your life!

Undoubtedly, Mr David Leung is a very forward-looking person in fashion design while he is also very passionate in education. So, can the new fashion and textile programme really put concepts into practice?

This is the question that both parents and YWIES Shanghai Gubei care about. YWIES put full efforts in designing and preparing this new programme by the following measures:

1. Provide world-class learning experience by inviting a famous fashion designer to be the programme instructor

YWIES invited Mr David Leung, a world-renowned fashion designer, to be the Director of Fashion Design of our programme, stationing on Gubei Campus.

2. Upgrade YWIES Creative Arts Programme

With our school motto “Align with culture and arts”, YWIES puts great emphasis on art education. For those students talented in art and wishing to pursue further studies in overseas art schools, Yew Wah provides enriched programmes and abundant resources to improve their academic performance as well as artistic competence, and to help them apply to the top art schools around the world.

Launching Fashion and Textile Programme is a part of the upgrade of YWIES Creative Arts Programme. It enriches the content of A Level Art & Design subjects and provides chances for students to explore their interest and talent.

3. Expand and renovate the fashion studio and exhibition area to create an artistic learning space.