Preparing well

In October 2017, after a year and four months of preparation, Hu took part in the competition in Abu Dhabi which she still remembers in great detail.

Champions of 30 nations and regions competed in the event that lasted three and a half days, with each competitor required to complete five modules, including three-dimensional cutting and design, sewing and finishing a ready-to-wear garment in about 18 hours. The first task was to cut a dress, based on a photo. The contestants needed to make a one-to-one replica of the dress and design its back accordingly. She replicated the dress closely.

"Your eyes need to become a ruler to measure the size of each part of the dress, and as the fabric provided is limited, the error-tolerant rate of making the dress is quite low," Hu recalls.

As she was finishing the first module, Hu says she noticed the audience and her competitors gathering around her piece and praising it, which boosted her confidence.

The last three consecutive modules led to the finished garment. Five elements were randomly picked on site and each competitor had to design and make a dress accordingly. The fifth module had a "mystery box"' that contained a selection of surprise materials that a competitor could use to make any accessory for the dress.

"From the characteristics of each fabric to the variations of each of the 72 dresses, I had to remember them all," Hu says about the dresses she had to make in advance as preparation for that module.

Some challenges came up. Her sewing machine broke down during the competition and one part of the event was held in a noisy outdoor shed that had a bumpy floor where it was hard for Hu to draw smooth lines for her design.