"China in Paris" has been running alongside Paris Fashion Week since 2010. In its fifth season now, the event is getting bigger and bigger. And this year, cashmere designer Liu Fang is the star attraction.

It is just one day to go before the show, Liu and her team are busy making final preparations. This is her debut on the Paris runway and tensions are high, it's essential that the right girls are chosen to best show off her designs.

"I am really really excited to be showing my creations to the world tomorrow night. For every Chinese designer it is a dream to put their collection on the runway of Paris Fashion Week and, for me, it is actually a dream come true," Liu said,

Backstage at her show, "Dynamic Lineation", Liu's dreams are starting to become a reality. The gothic futurism of the hair and makeup is designed to contrast and compliment her cashmere collection.

As one of only a handful of Chinese designers to have shown on the Paris runway, Liu hopes she can inspire more of China's fashion talent to follow their dreams.

"I think Chinese people are becoming increasingly international in their perceptions and they are becoming more sensitive to high fashion and this is a good phenomenon for young creative Chinese designers because people are more willing to accept our ideas," Liu said.

In previous seasons "China in Paris" has showcased the work of young Chinese designers with exhibitions, but this year they're stepping things up and Liu is showing her designs in the way that every designers wants to on a Paris Fashion Week runway.

Like celestial beings the models glide down the runway. It is a show of contrasts, a mixture of eastern and western design and culture.

Liu describes the inspiration behind her designs. "I am trying to use the softest and most luxurious material -- cashmere -- to show strength. Like a sculpture. There is a traditional Chinese philosophy that combines softness and strength and this is what I am trying to achieve by using the softest cashmere so, in a way, the softness and strength can transform from one to another," Liu said.

The success of Liu's Paris runway debut is a big boost for "China in Paris" organisers who hope that more Chinese designers will grace the Paris catwalks in future.

Christine Zhou, "China in Paris" organiser, said,"We will continue to do this because it has been several seasons now that we have organised 'China in Paris' and our objective is to show the creativity that is coming from China, from the artists and the designers. It's perfectly normal because, to be in Paris, it is a dream."

For some, Paris is the fashion capital of the world, but, tonight at least, for Liu, it is also the place where dreams come true.

(CNTV.cn September 28, 2012)