As the provincial capital, the city also accommodates a full garment and raw materials supply chain, he said.

French fashion design school Esmod launched its Guangzhou campus in 2014.

With the Chinese government placing greater emphasis on vocational education and training, more quality foreign educational resources are expected to open branches in the country, Lau said.

Istituto Secoli's Milan campus has 400 students, many of whom come from China, said Simona Borghesan, a patternmaking teacher working at the Guangzhou campus.

Students at the new campus will spend two years in Guangzhou learning both fashion and the Italian language, with a third year in Milan.

Candidates do not need fashion skills or experience, but must have a passion for fashion if they are to get the most out of the packed schedules, Lau said.

Song Xunan, who completed a four-year university program in engineering budgeting earlier this year, is studying at the Guangzhou campus to pursue her dream of working in fashion.

"I wanted to learn fashion when I was at high school, but did not have the drawing skills necessary to attend fashion programs at Chinese universities," she said.