Jiang Jianhuan, with her arm linked with his, glanced helplessly at the sky and recounted a few stories of how he had made mistakes during his internship and been reprimanded by the designer. Fang Xiaoli's mindset indeed improved after hearing them.
"I knew it! No one is born this amazing! Hey, Jianhuan, after hearing what you said, I've regained my confidence!"
"Okay, keep it up." Jiang Jianhuan nodded encouragingly, looking at her excited expression.
The venue for iro's launch show was a manor on the outskirts of Jiangcheng. The overcast day was chosen in advance, and the outdoor lawn and the castle-like manor were all decorated to resemble a Western magical world.
Artificial trees, their bare black branches stretching out, surrounded the indoor runway, while a huge, bright, cold moon hung in the sky. The surrounding lighting was dim, and many media reporters, including several celebrities, were in the front row.
Jiang Jianhuan was backstage in charge of styling the clothes for the models who were walking the runway for her outfits. She was so busy that she was dizzy.
The music was clearly audible, punctuated by occasional bursts of applause. The models moved back and forth on the stage, quickly closing the gap in the order. Jiang Jianhuan's design was tenth from the bottom.
When she was told she could go and wait in line, Jiang Jianhuan was so nervous her heart was pounding. Just before the models were about to go up, she suddenly bowed deeply to them.
"Please take care of me later."
Caught off guard, the group exchanged glances and smiled, their attitude becoming much more sincere.
"Miss Jiang, you're too kind. It's our pleasure."
Everything was as usual. No one noticed anything wrong with the new models. They only noticed that these outfits were a bit special. The styles were unique and just right, conforming to mainstream aesthetics. They were much more eye-catching than the previous ones.
Among the people watching the show in the front row, many turned their heads to discuss it, and some even directly instructed their assistants to place orders.
Only Jiang Jianhuan stood by nervously, clenching his hands, until the tall model confidently and calmly walked a circle on the catwalk, finished her last pose, and returned backstage.
Only then did she slowly feel relieved.
The launch show was a complete success. Unlike last year, when she was just a background figure following Jiang Yuan, this time she was introduced to many people.
There was no sudden commotion, nor any disastrous incident of wine being spilled on people. On the contrary, after the round, I had collected quite a few business cards and remembered several faces.
“You need to manage these relationships well. If you can get even one person to wear one of your designs, it will make all the difference,” Jiang Yuan said meaningfully. She was referring to haute couture.
If someone of high social status or influence wears clothes that you have personally designed for them, it serves to help them advance their career to the next level.
This is why brands always offer sponsorships when celebrities walk the red carpet.
Increased visibility within the industry brings appreciation and recognition for your abilities, as well as numerous long-term benefits.
Jiang Jianhuan smiled modestly after hearing this and nodded to Jiang Yuan.
"Thank you, Director. Although this goal is still a bit far off for now, I will work hard to achieve it."
Chapter 27
After the press conference ended, Jiang Jianhuan realized that he hadn't heard from Su Mo for a while. It seemed that his tour was coming to an end, with only a few overseas stops left.
She thought to herself, "I probably won't be so busy anymore."
With the biggest task completed and the workload slightly reduced, Jiang Yuan gave a summary of the show at the Monday meeting.
After so much time, Jiang Jianhuan had figured out her style and wrote down all the key points Jiang Yuan mentioned in her notebook.
"There's one more thing. The National Emerging Fashion Designer Competition is starting again this year. Those of you who are interested can sign up." Jiang Yuan looked around, a slight smile appearing on her lips.
"As for those athletes who participate every year but never finish, they should think it over carefully. I suggest they focus more on their work."
"Boss—"
"How could you do this?!" Some people below were unhappy and pretended to slam their notebooks in protest. Jiang Yuan smiled and put away the things on the table.
"Alright, that concludes today's meeting. Jianhuan, come with me."
Jiang Jianhuan followed Jiang Yuan into the office. She closed the door, sat behind the desk, and her smile faded, making her appear gentler than usual.
Are you planning to register for this competition?
"I'll participate." Jiang Jianhuan nodded without hesitation. Putting aside the tens of thousands of yuan in prize money, the opportunity to study at headquarters for half a month was enough to tempt anyone.
Moreover, this is the first step in establishing its reputation in China.
A hint of praise appeared in Jiang Yuan's eyes, and she nodded.
"Very good. Then you can focus on preparing for this during this time. You don't have much else to do, so you can take it easy for now. Jianhuan, I have high hopes for you." She said meaningfully. Jiang Jianhuan was flattered and nodded her thanks.
As expected, after leaving Jiang Yuan's office, everyone outside was discussing the competition. Some of them had participated several times before, and their best result was reaching the finals, but they hadn't won a prize.
Zhou Ran and the others participated, but they did better than others, winning second or third prizes.
This is enough to make me stand tall in the company. My usual arrogance also stems partly from the confidence that comes with winning awards.
The Emerging Fashion Designer Competition is a large-scale competition in China, but most participants are designers who have only recently entered the industry or are not very well-known. The truly outstanding designers are competing for higher-level awards or serving as judges for this competition.
People like Zhou Ran have already given up on participating in this competition and are now focused on winning the 'National Designer Gold and Silver Awards,' the highest awards in the domestic fashion design industry.
But for Jiang Jianhuan, this competition was one she could only win, not lose.
If she follows a conventional career path, she will probably have to wait another two or three years to become a chief designer. During this time, if she doesn't have any major opportunities or outstanding performance, she may remain in her current position as an ordinary designer forever.
Working from nine to five every day, I'm busy in a cubicle design studio, just one of the many white-collar workers.
If it weren't for all those things that happened before, perhaps Jiang Jianhuan would be content with his current life, but—
She still has a huge debt to repay, a lingering flame within her, and a very outstanding person she likes very much.
She had no way out.