SOVEREIGN Hill has taken a step into high fashion.
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The Ballarat outdoor museum held a fashion show in Shanghai earlier this month to show off the 10 finalists of a competition that resulted in more than 1000 entries by fashion students from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Sovereign Hill splashed out on occasion, running a full runway show with the finalists before announcing Chao Dan from Beijing as the winner.
Sovereign Hill CEO Jeremy Johnson was one of the judges.
"The quality of the research that went in to (the winning dress), the design very much in its period and the dress itself was so detailed," he said.
"The colour was so striking."
Mr Johnson said the event was well attended by senior tourism and trade officials from Australia, fashion students and teachers and Chinese journalists covering it for the fashion industry.
"It went mad on (Chinese social media site) Weibo," he said.
He said last year's winner had sold designs in the United States and Europe following the competition and other entrants had been contacted by costumiers impressed by their period designs.
Ms Chao's impressive jade green dress will see her come to Victoria for six days later in the year.