First Impression - the most important one: Great use of DOF and a very good shot!
Composition: Composition of this shot is great. The other people in the photo really help frame the main subject.
Subject: Great choice of subject. The bright clothes mixed with the dark hair really make the subject stand out. Certainly makes for an interesting and captivating image.
Technical (Colour, focus, and light): DOF on this shot is wonderful! Just what I envisioned for this challenge. The colors look good, though it seems to me that there's a slight yellow/green cast in the lighting...though that could be the surroundings. I think the pink makes my brain want to see cool colors as opposed to warm tones (silly brain!) :-) Lighting looks good to me!
To grow its vote?: From the other comments on the photo I think that a slightly different color cast may have improved the vote on this shot. Other than that, I really wouldn't change a thing!
Summary: Very stunning photo and an excellent choice for this challenge! Well done.
Great capture. The colors are muted, and that fits here. Her expression is intriguing. The DOF is almost too great, in my eyes. The person in the bottom right is a bit distracting to me as it is almost indistinguishable.