A new group of workers are rising out of the doldrums of semiskilled labor and are making a name for themselves as clothing designers. Chinese manufacturers are increasingly trying to figure out how more of their workers can move beyond the simple cutting and sewing of garments into what is known as engineering and, someday, the initial sketching of new clothing.
See "Chinese Apparel Makers Increasingly Seek the Creative Work", Keith Bradisher, The New York Times, August 30, 2005