Fashion retailer Shein has released its first Australian Student Designer collection in collaboration with Elian Yang, the winner of the Rise Student Designer Challenge 2024.

Yang, a Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology student, won a $10,000 cash award and mentorship from Australian designer Alice McCall after outperforming 19 other finalists in the event’s ‘Retro-Futurism’ theme.

The winner describes the collection, which is available to purchase globally, as a fusion of the past and future, inspired by her passion for Greek mythology and the challenge of combining ancient aesthetics with modern, futuristic design.

“As a student about to graduate, having my designs showcased on such a global platform is beyond anything I imagined,” Yang added. 

“I wanted to create something timeless yet forward-thinking, where traditional symbolism meets bold, contemporary structures.” 

The Shein Rise Student Designer Challenge, which focuses on resilience, inspiration, support, and empowerment, was launched in July last year after the global success of the Shein X Challenge in 2021, which has collaborated with more than 5300 designers and artists worldwide.

“With the launch of our first Rise Student Designer Challenge, an initiative that will be annual, we had a strong focus on finding and supporting talented young Australian designers,” said a Shein spokesperson.