She recalls her 20 classmates were all women who were taller than 1.73 meters.

One homework assignment in 1997 was to take to the catwalk for Beijing Fashion Week.

Zhao recalls that, as a young student, she didn't have enough money to take a taxi from one show to another. When she boarded a bus runway-ready, a stranger asked: "Aren't you a rich and famous model? Why are you taking the bus?"

Fashion modeling and communication department dean Xiao Bin says the major was introduced just in time, as the international runway needs more Chinese. But most Chinese models on the global stage then hadn't received professional training.

"BIFT modeling majors had to attend classes like fashion design, ballet dancing and photography," Xiao says.

"After this training, they're more confident and know how to truly showcase clothing."

Yang Jie, who enrolled as a fashion design major in 2000, believes he enjoyed more opportunities than Zheng and Zhao.

He learned more than fashion design during his four years at BIFT, he says. Yang's instructors also had students design fashion label advertisements and brainstorm boutique store decoration schemes.

That gave him the idea - and the skills - to start his own label.

So Yang founded Pok Poker in 2004. His designs qualified him as the first Chinese student to earn a scholarship from Italy's Instituto Europeo di Design.

Wang says BIFT provides not only educations but also "practical" job opportunities.

"BIFT was born at the start of, and has grown during, the rise of China's fashion industry," he says.

"This creates so many chances for the students."

Wang says it's difficult for a young graduate from Saint Martin's or Parsons to start a label, because the fashion industries of Britain and the US are mature.

But the rapid growth of China's fashion industry provides space for them.

Zhao, the modeling major, is now the manager of Rich Public Relations Company, which helps Chinese fashion labels host shows. She says doing business is easy, because many of her clients are her classmates.

Lan Yu, who graduated from BIFT three years ago, is considered the country's Vera Wang.

As one of the country's top fashion designers, she has made wedding dresses for A-listers, including Huang Shengyi, Li Xiang and Xie Na.