As graduation season approaches once again,

On one hand, design students are sending out hundreds of resumes, only to receive no response; on the other hand, companies are desperately searching for emerging talent who "understand the body, understand craftsmanship, and understand implementation."

This long-standing gap between education and industry is ready to be bridged.

The 2026 Intimate Apparel Design Rising Star Co-creation Program will bring about an honest dialogue between the industry, education, and young creativity.

01 An Industry Challenge: Why Great Intimate Apparel Designers Are So Rare

In the underwear, swimwear, sports bra, and loungewear industry, there's an open secret: Truly excellent designers are extremely rare.

Because intimate apparel is not ordinary clothing.

It must be beautiful—colors, patterns, lace, lines—all must be captivating;

It must also be "stable"—fitting, supportive, shaping, seamless, non-restrictive, and stable…

These functions rely not on wild imagination, but on a deep understanding of ergonomics. A seemingly simple bra may involve over 20 fabric pieces, more than 10 types of accessories, and over 5 different sewing techniques.

Even the most beautiful drawings from a designer who doesn't understand human anatomy or fabric elasticity and pressure distribution will leave the pattern maker clueless.

This is why the industry doesn't lack people who can "draw patterns," but it desperately lacks designers who "understand the body, understand craftsmanship, and understand implementation."

We hope this program can help you develop this understanding in advance.

02 A Gap in Understanding: An Invisible Wall Between Students and Companies

Every year, a large number of fashion design graduates flood the market.

The vast majority of them choose brand companies as their first option—because it sounds glamorous and closer to creativity.

This isn't wrong, but few people tell students:

Those who truly master the industry's core techniques, have complete training systems, and are willing to invest time in training new talent are often large, established factories.

We're not asking you to give up your brand dreams.

We simply hope that before you make a choice, you can have a complete "from design to finished garment" experience.

This experience will make any future career path you take more stable.

03 Why is underwear so expensive?

Have you ever heard the question: "Underwear uses much less material than outerwear, so why is it so expensive?"

This is a common misconception about underwear.

This misconception has been amplified to some extent by some "lightweight products"—they use minimalist structures and extremely low costs to disrupt the market's pricing system, but also make people forget:

A truly good piece of underwear is backed by complex ergonomics, precise stitching, and the exquisite use of lace and embellishments.

Oriental International Group Shanghai Rongheng International Trade Co., Ltd., with over 27 years of experience in the intimate apparel industry, focuses on creating a product matrix that combines fashion and functionality for global clients.

As a co-initiator of this project, we have rich experience and a comprehensive system for the design and transformation of intimate apparel.

Skilled at using lace, embroidery, mesh, and frills to create exquisite, layered, and emotionally resonant designs while fulfilling functional requirements.

Through this program, we hope to show more people that a high-quality garment is not just "fabric," but a meticulously crafted work of art.

Its value deserves respect.

This is why we are willing to leverage Dongfang Rongheng's extensive factory resources to help selected students transform their designs into actual garments—

Because only by personally touching, wearing, and disassembling a complete finished product can you truly understand:

Beauty never comes from nowhere.