Today, as Chinese brands expand onto the global stage, their ambitions extend far beyond exporting products. Increasingly, brands are seeking to build lasting international influence through design, culture, and creative dialogue. As “going global” becomes a shared aspiration, a new question emerges: how can brands evolve from product export to true global brand presence?
Chinese designer jewelry brand HEFANG Jewelry offers one such example. On February 27, 2026, the inaugural HEFANG Award, initiated by the brand, completed its final selection at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, the alma mater of founder Sun Hefang.
More than a realization of the brand’s vision, the HEFANG Award reflects a broader shift in HEFANG’s global approach: from exporting products to participating in international design dialogue, offering a meaningful example of how Chinese brands are engaging with the global creative landscape.
Supporting the Next Generation of Designers
Opening overseas flagship stores or entering international concept stores is often seen as a milestone for brands expanding globally. Yet HEFANG has chosen a different starting point — the classroom. By engaging directly with leading design institutions, the brand supports emerging designers who have not yet graduated, but who represent the future of innovation in the industry.
As the first Chinese designer jewelry brand to establish an in-depth collaboration with the BA Jewellery Design programme at Central Saint Martins, HEFANG integrates the award directly into the academic curriculum. The initiative allows students to develop their ideas within an educational setting while gaining insight into real brand operations.
Rather than functioning as a distant design competition, the HEFANG Award operates as a close collaboration embedded within the academic environment.
Jewelery Design class at Central Saint Martins
Meanwhile, HEFANG’s Tea Time Collection, first introduced in 2014, has been permanently collected by the Museum of Central Saint Martins, recognizing the collection’s refined yet playful design language, which transforms everyday dining objects into jewelry.
The inspiration continues to evolve. In March 2026, HEFANG introduced a new season of the collection, reimagining tableware, fusilli, artisan bread and fruit as playful yet refined jewelry pieces. Elements of the dining table are translated into wearable forms, appearing at the wrist, ear and neckline, bringing imagination into everyday rituals.
Tea Time Collection 2026
Together, the museum recognition and the brand’s investment in young talent highlight HEFANG’s growing role in international design conversations.
Interpreting London Through Jewelry
For the inaugural HEFANG Award, the creative brief centered on London, with a total of 50 student submissions received. Young designers explored the city’s streets, observed its people, and experienced its ever-changing weather, transforming their interpretations of London into wearable jewelry.
The works explored a wide range of themes, from reinterpretations of London’s architecture and history to inspiration drawn from everyday moments of urban life. Together, they reflect the diverse perspectives of a new generation of designers engaging with the cultural identity of the city.
After evaluation of creative concept, artistic expression, and craftsmanship, three designers were selected as recipients of the Certificate of Design Achievement and the Certificate of Honorable Spotlight. Each translated their personal experience of London into jewelry shaped by an individual narrative.
Award ceremony
Keira Cowley, one of the Design Achievement Award winners, drew inspiration from the Golden Boy of Pye Corner, a sculpture associated with the Great Fire of London in 1666. By assembling forks of different shapes into a structure that covers the hand, her design explores themes of consumption and restraint, transforming historical symbolism into a contemporary wearable statement.
Keira Cowley’s award-winning design
Another Design Achievement Award winner, Pamela Hall, created a series titled Prima Donna, inspired by London’s theatre culture. Red velvet and sculpted metal elements reference the atmosphere of historic opera houses, while the pieces reflect the emotional connection she shares with her grandmother, whose love of opera first inspired her interest in performance.
Pamela Hall’s award-winning design
The Honorable Spotlight Award was presented to Chinese student Hu Buhai, whose work was inspired by London’s famously rainy weather.
When he first arrived in the city, he found it difficult to adapt to the frequent wind and rain. Over time, however, he noticed how Londoners accepted and even embraced the weather with ease. “I admire this calm and free-spirited attitude toward everyday life,” he says.
Combining this observation with themes of contemporary femininity, Hu’s design captures the composed elegance of women walking confidently through wind and rain. Rain becomes a metaphor for life’s many experiences, while the wearer embodies resilience and grace, a tribute from a newcomer to the spirit of the city.
Award-winning design by Hu Buhai
These works are not distant grand narratives, but reflections drawn from everyday observation: streets, crowds, and shifting weather. Rather than waiting for inspiration, the young designers walked through London and transformed lived experiences into wearable jewelry. This approach resonates with HEFANG’s own philosophy: meaningful design often begins with the details of everyday life.
Starting in London, Looking Toward the Future
Beginning with Central Saint Martins, the initiative aims to expand to additional design schools worldwide while also supporting emerging designers from China. By building connections between institutions, the platform creates new opportunities for young talents to share their ideas internationally.
Founder Sun Hefang once reflected on her own experience:
“When I studied at Central Saint Martins in London, I participated in a course project organized by an international brand. At the time, I was only twenty years old, but I quietly made a promise to myself. One day, I would create my own jewelry brand and return to my alma mater to establish a meaningful project in its name.”
Sun Hefang, founder of HEFANG Jewelry
Today, that idea has come full circle.
What HEFANG is exploring is not only a path for one brand’s global growth, but also a reflection of how Chinese design is increasingly participating in global creative dialogue.
Sun Hefang speaking at CSM as a distinguished alumna
And when more young designers are given the opportunity to be seen and supported, the future of design becomes a shared stage, one with far greater possibilities.
丨Editor: LeZhi
