London College of Fashion students win China’s 1st AI fashion prize

When London College of Fashion MA students Shen Tianjun and Kuang Yilin spotted a WeChat advertisement for China’s first Global AI+Fashion Innovation Application Competition, the timing was on their side — the classmates were already planning to return to China during their summer break. They decided to submit a project together. Today, they were named winners of China’s newest fashion technology competition, which drew nearly 5,000 participants from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and more than 10 countries and regions, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada and Australia, according to organizers. As Gold Spoonbill Award winners, Shen and Kuang will receive a 100,000 RMB ($14,000) cash prize, a slot to present their work at an international fashion week platform, a feature in lifestyle magazine SuperELLE, a premium exhibition space at the competition showcase held today, and the competition’s Gold Spoonbill trophy and certificate. Silver Spoonbill and Bronze Spoonbill awards went to runner-up entries. Shenzhen’s bid to lead AI fashion innovation Hosted by the Futian District Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau, the competition is part of Shenzhen’s push to establish itself as a center for AI-powered fashion innovation. More than 2,500 concepts and technology solutions were submitted before an expert panel selected 20 finalists. For Shen and Kuang, the recognition arrived at an early moment of their growth, as they are still studying. “Everything has happened so quickly, and we’re truly honored to receive this award,” Kuang told Jing Daily at the awards ceremony. “We’re both still master’s students, so this recognition means a great deal to us. Looking ahead, we plan to continue exploring the boundaries of AI applications in fashion and push the possibilities of combining technology with creative design.” A winning design rooted in harmony with nature Their winning project responded to one of the competition’s central themes: the balance between people and nature. The nature framing runs deeper than the brief — the Spoonbill awards themselves are modeled on Fuulu, Futian’s district mascot, a black-faced spoonbill that winters in the mangrove reserve on Shenzhen Bay. Shen said: “We believe that achieving this balance requires people to be more mindful of nature and learn to coexist with it in harmony. That idea became the foundation of our design.” Why emerging designers see AI as a tool, not a threat While many designers remain cautious about AI entering the creative process, the pair sees it as another tool rather than a replacement for creativity. “AI helps us save a lot of time during the sketching and ideation stage,” Shen said. “With its support, we can work more efficiently and focus our energy on the most meaningful and creative aspects of the design process.” That pragmatism echoes a shift underway in fashion education: rather than debating whether AI belongs in design studios, emerging designers are learning to integrate it alongside traditional methods. “Some people still have a negative impression of AI,” Shen said. “However, we see it as an emerging technology that we should learn to use responsibly from the very beginning. By understanding it first, we can better identify ways to maximize its benefits while minimizing any potential negative impacts.” Their course at London College of Fashion has encouraged experimentation across digital disciplines, part of a wider turn toward AI in fashion education worldwide. “Opinions about technology vary everywhere — some people embrace it, while others are more cautious,” Shen said. “Fortunately, my colleagues and teachers are very supportive of new technologies, and they’ve encouraged us to experiment with them. In our work, we already use coding, 3D design, AI and other digital tools as part of the fashion design process.” Generative AI moves from experiment to industry standard Across the industry, generative AI is shifting from experiment to standard practice. Luxury houses and independent labels have begun incorporating it into concept development and product design, and the BoF-McKinsey State of Fashion 2026 report found 92% of fashion companies plan to increase generative AI investment — though only 1% consider themselves ready to deploy the technology at scale. Consumers appear ready for the shift: in the BCG-Altagamma True-Luxury Global Consumer Insights 2026 study, published in July 7, 78% of 10,000 luxury consumers surveyed said they would still buy a product knowing AI helped develop it, and 77% said they would keep buying from a brand that uses generative AI. The Shenzhen competition suggests China intends to shape that transition rather than follow it. Its 18-member jury spanned couture, sportswear and big tech: couturier Guo Pei and executives from LVMH, Google Cloud, Baidu AI Cloud, Lacoste, Anta Group and the China Fashion Association — a lineup that treats AI-assisted design as an industry capability rather than a niche experiment. For Shen and Kuang, the next stop is London, where they will finish their master’s degrees and keep pushing at what AI can do for fashion — a collaboration that began with a WeChat advertisement and ended on one of China’s newest stages for AI-assisted design.

London College of Fashion students win China’s 1st AI fashion prize

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London College of Fashion students win China’s 1st AI fashion prize

How Bottega Veneta weaved China’s forever it bag