Not to discourage but for some constructive criticism and from a user point of view.
Good effort. I find the concept lacks originality even if you've state that it is inspired from the tshirt.
I've definitely seen that T before and before I read your comments of it being inspired by, my head was thinking, "Rip off".
The use of pandas in designs are getting more and more common. There's even record labels/t shirt labels etc with "panda". There's even a violent teddy bear that eats human up.
Using other not so commonly used on design docile animal would have been more original. Platypus? Dodo? Sloth?
Also since this is for a competition, bear in mind the judges could be designers themselves or who are in the know or who are just fans of street wear. For someone like me who occasionally shop around for tees, and can immediately recognise that design, I don't think this entry will score much points for creativity and originality.
Also as mentioned, a big NO NO taking out the Converse patch. Unless if you're Michael Lau then that could be excusable. :lol:
Don't be disheartened by my comments. Work on your craft and who knows... you'll be starting your own fashion label soon.