For the first time since 2011, Kent State design students will participate in the Mercedez-Benz China Fashion Week in Beijing, China.

Ana White is one of six senior fashion design students at Kent State who have the opportunity to show their work at an international level.

Through an interview process White, Calvin Brandt, Kara Kroeger, Abby Steger, Dior Delophont and Camille Winslow were chosen to show their senior thesis collections at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Beijing, China.

 “It’s very exciting, I’ve never had the opportunity to show my work on an international platform,” White said.

Mercedes-Benz hosts a fashion week twice a year that includes professional contests, exhibitions, fashion forums and professional evaluations. The Kent State seniors will attend during the first week, from March 25- 30.

Each design major  is required to have a senior thesis for their degree requirements. White said the long process begins with 60-80 original sketches and ends with four or five of the top designs that will be featured on the runway.

“I think it’s a great resume builder. I mean, not a lot of people have the opportunity to put that they showed something in China Fashion Week,” White said.

She is hopeful that this experience, along with the semester she spent in Florence, Italy, will help land her a job overseas.

White’s previous work can be seen on her website: www.anastasiawhitedesign.com