A model presents a creation at the Burberry catwalk show during London Fashion Week in London, Britain, on Sept. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

The Conde Nast College of Fashion & Design in London is tapping into new markets and witnessing a rapid increase of students from China, all while pushing for a more inclusive representation of Asian models and designers on the catwalks.

As London Fashion Week kicked off on Friday, the college marked its 10-year anniversary with an annual graduate exhibition in the heart of the British capital.

There was much reason to celebrate, Conde Nast College's director in London and Madrid Ana Garcia-Sineriz said in an interview, as there was a strong appetite from Chinese students to study fashion and lifestyle in Europe and at the college.

"Chinese students have an enormous interest in learning in Europe. In Madrid and in London, important universities have programs that are filled with Chinese students," Garcia-Sineriz said.

"For us, it's very important to put our efforts into giving first-class education to Chinese students in Europe, to understand their needs and give them the best education to fulfill the incredible demand of a rising market," she added.

Slowly but surely, the face of the fashion industry is changing and barriers are being broken down, Garcia-Sineriz said.

"Diversity in fashion is a growing reality. The beauty and refinement of the Asian culture are now luckily present among designers, models, brands and campaigns," she said.

"This industry is evolving for the better. I'm really fond of these incredible Asian models, this incredible manifestation of culture... We are all fans!"

Since its inception in 2013, the college has offered bachelor's and master's degrees, accredited certificates, and a variety of short and online courses focused on the fashion, media and luxury lifestyle industries.

The college works closely with the teams at Vogue, Glamour, GQ, and other Conde Nast magazines.

"We are focusing on the consolidation of our business and our colleges in London and Madrid. But we have plans to expand to different markets that have great interest in Vogue, the most relevant fashion brand in the world. Vogue is the authority of fashion through culture, more than a fashion brand," Garcia-Sineriz explained.

"Right now, we're focused on the transition process we've just picked up which is Madrid and London. But if we had to pick the next location for us to expand to, it would definitely be Asia," said Michael Chung, CEO of BRANDED that owns the college.

London Fashion Week runs on Sept. 15-19 this year. The clothing trade show organized by the British Fashion Council is one of the "Big Four" fashion weeks alongside New York, Milan and Paris. 

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