Zhoushan designer reveals aspirations of building luxury brand

Liu Yanru works at her fashion studio in Donggang Street, Putuo district, Zhoushan, East China’s Zhejiang province. [Photo/zj.zjol.com]

"I have a dream, that one day Yanru will become a Chinese luxury brand," said Liu Yanru, an haute couture designer from Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province in a recent interview with local media.

Yanru is a fashion brand that Liu established in France in 2012.

Liu wanted to be a fashion designer early when she was 5 years old, largely due to the influence of her parents, both of whom work in the clothing industry. 

After studying fashion design at the University of the Arts London and being exposed to the fashion industry overseas, Liu began to dream of building a Chinese luxury brand on par with world-class brands such as LV and Gucci, instead of working as a simple fashion designer.

Despite the objection from her father at first, Liu established Yanru and opened her studio in Donggang Street, Putuo district in March 2017. 

Liu makes each design based on the client's figure, temperament, preference and the wearing occasion, and will make modifications if the clothes don't fit. 

"For every single piece of garment, from fabric selection, designing, to the production, we have devoted all our efforts with our utmost sincerity," said Liu.

Her design combines the traditional Chinese style and the elegant European fashion, which has earned recognition from more and more clients, including a client from Jiangsu province, who came all the way to Zhoushan for a piece of clothing from her. 

"There's even a client who says she will keep a collection of my clothes as she believes that they will increase in value one day," said Liu proudly.

Liu and her team settled in the Putuo Bay Maker Space at the end of 2017 and won the second prize in its entrepreneurship competition in 2018.

For the future, Liu plans to open stores in other cities such as Ningbo and Hangzhou to increase the popularity of her brand.

The fashion studio of Liu Yanru [Photo/zj.zjol.com]