C30 Chapter 30

She commented, “No wonder you’re a rising designer. This collection is polished and impressive. You still haven’t let anyone down.”

Hao Yun’s heart sank. It was over. Now all she could do was pin her hopes on Ivan.

But Ivan’s taste was notoriously hard to predict...

When Saang Shijuan saw Lily light up her signal, he immediately frowned slightly.

Seeing Du Yawei beam with excitement as she thanked Lily for her approval only made him even more irritated.

Next, Faang Qing and Xu Qiaomei both pressed the red light without hesitation.

Faang Qing’s reason was blunt: “Sorry, this design doesn’t meet the standard to advance.”

Xu Qiaomei said a bit more. Part of it was because of Hao Yun’s instructions, but also because she genuinely didn’t care for Du Yawei’s collection, so her comments were especially sharp: “I wouldn’t buy a single piece from this collection, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone I know. First, it doesn’t have enough fashion-forward elements. Second, you’ve used a lot of embroidery in these pieces, but embroidery was trendy last year. This year, it’s already outdated. Maybe you were trying to incorporate cheongsam-inspired elements, but as someone in fashion media, I would never show up in front of my colleagues wearing something out of date. So I’m sorry, but I do hope you keep working at it.”

Faced with two red lights in a row, Du Yawei respectfully thanked them both, but inwardly she was full of disdain. She felt that Faang Qing and Xu Qiaomei simply didn’t understand her design, which was why they dismissed her work.

What she truly cared about wasn’t their opinion, but the judgment of the internationally renowned designer Ivan.

In the fashion world, Ivan’s aesthetic sense practically set the direction of the entire industry.

His eye was sharp and distinctive, and he judged only the work, never the person. Even an unknown newcomer could earn Ivan’s generous praise, as long as the design was good enough.

That was why Ivan was known as the fashion world’s “walking trend barometer.”

If she could win Ivan’s approval today, her standing in the fashion industry would rise that much higher.

All three judges had weighed in—two red lights and one green. Ivan’s final decision would determine Du Yawei’s fate in the competition, and the room held its breath, waiting for his verdict.

Ivan frowned and, without a moment’s hesitation, hit the red light.

The entire venue erupted.

The fashion world wasn’t that big, and plenty of people knew Du Yawei. On top of that, VE magazine had just named her one of the most promising breakout designers of her generation, and she’d been gaining serious buzz lately. Yet now she had failed to make it past the preliminary round of a national fashion competition.

Off to the side, Hao Yun finally let out the breath she’d been holding the moment she saw Ivan press red.

Du Yawei stood awkwardly onstage, her face flushed deep red.

Unwilling to accept it, she looked at Ivan and asked, “Aren’t you going to say anything, Ivan? Why did you reject my work outright?”

Ivan’s face was cold, his gaze sharp. “Do I really need to explain? You clearly didn’t take this competition seriously. I have a deep appreciation for traditional culture, but the theme behind your design is incredibly disappointing. The mandarin collar does nothing to bring out a woman’s elegance, and that asymmetrical front closure is even crossed the wrong way. In traditional dress, that style is associated with clothing for the dead. If you were going to incorporate qipao elements into your design, the least you could have done was put in the effort to truly understand the garment’s history and meaning. Designing clothes like this tells me you don’t respect me, you don’t respect this stage, and worst of all, you don’t respect yourself.”