Young students from Maodun Experimental Primary School in Puyuan town, Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, are encouraged to unleash their creativity on basic traditional garments and showcase their designs themselves on the runway of this year's Puyuan Fashion Week on Sunday. CHINA DAILY

Chu Yumeng, a 10-year-old participant, showcased a white and pale blue ensemble featuring intricate dragon designs, with seashell-crafted scales adorning the fabric and paired with matching scale-shaped hair accessories.

The look drew inspiration from Ao Run, her favorite character in the blockbuster Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2.

"It took weeks to bring the costume to life, exactly how I imagined," says Yumeng, her eyes lighting up.

"Seeing it finally come together for this showcase was my happiest moment."

Ke Libin, Yumeng's mother and clothing boutique owner in Tongxiang, expressed joy at seeing her daughter showcase self-designed, handcrafted garments at Puyuan Fashion Week.

"This runway experience really boosted her confidence," Ke observes.

"I've noticed her becoming more outgoing and comfortable expressing herself in public."

The program reflects Puyuan's initiative to spark children's interest in fashion and nurture future design talent.

This year, the fashion week also launched a program to scout young designers worldwide to provide them with an incubation platform for their creativity. It also hosted a model competition to cultivate supermodels with both market potential and artistic expression for the fashion industry.